"*-, 


American  Board  of  Commis loners 
for  Foreign  Missions 


Historical  Sketch  of  the  Mission  to 
the  Mahrattas  of  V/estern  India 


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BV  3280  .M37  A53  1862 
American  Board  of 

commissioners  for  Foreign  i 
Historical  sketch  of  the 

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HISTORICAL   SKETCH 

Oct  :    1921 

OF    TDK  X 

MISSION  TO  THE   MAIIRATTAS 


WESTERN     INDIA. 


PUBLISHED   BY   THE    AMERICAN    BOABD    OF    COMMISSIONEKS 
FOR    FOREIGN    MISSIONS. 


JOHN    A.    GRAY,    PRINTER,    STEREOTYPER,    AND    BINDER, 

FIRB-PROOr      BUILDINGS, 

CORNER    OP    FRANKFORT    AND    JACOB    STREETa 
1862. 


CONTENTS. 
—    « > « — 

PiCK 

THE    COUN'IKV, 3 

PEOPLE   AND   LANGUAGES, 7 

RELIGIONS, 8 

THE   MISSION 11 

OBSTACLES, 15 

THE   FIELD, 23 

PLAN   OF   OPERATIONS, 23 

SCHOOLS, 24 

THE  PRESS, 29 

RIGHTS  OF   NATIVE   CHRISTIANS, 30 


The   .'bllowing   books,   aniong  others,  may  be  consulted   witli 
cid vantage : 

India,  Ancient  and  Modern.     !!>■  Rev.  David  0.  Ai.i.kn,  D.D. 
India  and  its  People  :    R<'v.  Hoi.i.is  Read. 
Memoirs  of  Gordon  Hall  and    Harriet  Newell. 
Tracy's  History  of  the  American  Board. 
Newcomb's  Cyclopedia  of  Missions. 

Memorial  Volume  of  American    Board   of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions. 

^See  page  tliinl  of  cover.) 


^  ~    »•' 


'^^^^: 


'4^ 


Oct     1921 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH 


MISSION  TO  THE   MAHIUTTAS 


WESTERN     INDIA. 


PUBLISHED    BY   THE    AMERICAN    BOARD    OF    COMMISSIOWEKS 
FOR   FOREIGN"   MISSIONS. 


JOHX    A.    GRAY,    PRIJN'TER,    STEREOTYPER,    AXD    BINDER, 

FIRE-PROOF       BUILDINGS, 

CORNER     OF    FRANKFORT    AND    JACOB    STREETS. 

18G2. 


/3      -liOJLULLudjC  iJi  -Last    ±i-o:iii-    7J   (li-ccapvlch-      7G 


MISSION  TO  THE  MAHRATTAS. 


THE     COUNTRY. 

The  region  of  country  inhabited  by  the  Mahrattas,  is  in  the  western  part  of 
Hindusthan.  It  borders  on  the  Arabian  Sea  for  about  three  hundred  miles.  It 
may  be  described  in  general  as  an  irregular  triangle.  The  sea  line  is  the  base 
of  the  triangle,  and  the  apex  a  point  about  seven  hundred  miles  in  a  north-east- 
erly direction  from  Bombay.  The  northern  boundary  of  the  triangle  begins  on 
the  sea-coast,  about  fifty  miles  north  from  Bombay,  and  runs  north-easterly  to 
a  distance  of  a  hundred  miles  or  more  north-east  of  Nagpur,  in  Central  India. 
The  southerly  line,  or  side  of  the  triangle,  would  run  from  this  point  in  an  ir- 
regular south-westerly  direction  till  it  meets  the  sea-coast,  to  the  south  of  the 
territory  of  Goa,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Bombay. 

Near  the  sea-coast  runs  a  range  of  mountains  parallel  with  it.  It  is  called  the 
Sayhadri  range,  or,  in  common  language,  the  Ghats — receiving  this  name  from 
the  passes  or  "  steps,^^  up  through  the  range  to  the  elevated  table-lands  of  the  inte- 
rior. For  a  part  of  the  distance  on  the  north  of  the  Mahratta  country,  there  is  a 
range  of  mountains  running  east  and  west.  Other  ranges,  parallel  with  this, 
are  found  in  the  interior.  The  region  of  country  bordering  on  the  sea  is  very 
broken.  Spurs  from  the  Ghats  come  down  to  the  coast  in  great  numbers,  so 
that  the  whole  district,  to  one  traveling  along  the  line  of  the  sea,  is  a  succession 
of  precipitous  hills  and  deep  valleys.  The  bottoms  of  these  valleys  have,  in 
some  cases,  a  widening  near  the  sea,  while  they  are  contracted  to  deep  gorges 
as  one  approaches  the  mountains.  The  soil  in  these  valleys,  and  often  also 
upon  the  sides  of  the  hills  and  mountains,  is  fertile.  The  streams  are  moun- 
tain torrents,  nearly  dry  during  the  dry  season,  and  rushing  down  in  fierce, 
turbid  streams,  almost  impassable  from  the  force  of  the  current,  whenever  the 
rain  falls  upon  the  summits  above  them.  This  strip  of  country  between  the 
sea  and  the  coast  range  of  mountains  is  called  the  Konkan. 

The  aspect  of  the  country,  to  one  approaching  it  from  the  sea,  is  very  forbid- 
ding. In  some  places  the  shore  appears  beautifully  fringed  with  the  palm-tree  ; 
but  in  general  only  stern,  frowning  hills  are  to  be  seen.  Behind  these  others 
appear.  All  along  may  be  seen  the  summits  of  the  Ghats,  or  the  Sayha- 
dri range,  rising  to  the  hight  of  from  three  to  five  thousand  feet.  The  view  of 
these  hills  is  that  of  very  steep,  almost  precipitous,  mountain  sides.  The  range 
is  crossed  only  by  passes  through  deep  gorges  and  up  steep  ascents,  in  places 
where  the  summit  is  lower  than  the  general  hight  of  the  range. 


4  THE   MAHKATTA   MISSION. 

This  range  of  mountains  is  the  western  edge  of  the  great  table-lands  of  the 
interior.  The  traveler  who  ascends  one  of  the  passes  in  the  range  does  not  de- 
scend at  once,  upon  the  other  side,  to  a  region  of  low-lying  country.  He  finds 
himself  among  mountains,  with  valleys  opening  out  castwardl}^,  and  water- 
courses flowing  cast  and  south-east.  The  valleys  soon  expand  on  either  hand  ; 
the  hills  gradually  sink  into  the  plains.  The  land  in  general  lies  from  one  to 
two  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  of  the  land  lying  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountains  on  the  western  side.  The  streams  of  water  flow  more  gently 
than  those  below  the  Ghats,  and  soon  uniting,  form  the  rivers  which  water  the 
south-eastern  part  of  India.  The  water  flows  across  the  whole  breadth  of  India, 
and  finds  its  outlet  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  The  region  of  country  above  the 
Ghdts^  eastward  from  this  Sayhadri  or  coast  range  of  mountains,  is  known  as 
the  Deccan,  (Dakhan.)  This  word  means  the  "  south"  country,  and  was  ori- 
ginally employed  to  designate  all  that  part  of  India  lying  above  the  coast  ranges 
of  mountains,  on  both  the  east  and  west  sides,  and  south  of  the  Vindya  range, 
in  central  India. 

The  Deccan,  (I)akhan,)  or  the  interior  Mahratta  country,  may  be  described  as 
a  succession  of  table-lands  or  broad  plains,  separated  from  each  other  by  steep 
hills,  and  spreading  out,  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  into  extensive  prairies- 
The  soil  near  the  mountains  and  hills  is  usually  not  very  productive.  Gene- 
rally on  the  great  plains  and  in  the  valleys  it  is  very  fertile.  Most  of  the  coun- 
try is  well  watere  1,  but  there  arc  no  navigable  streams. 

The  principal  rivers  of  the  Mahratta  country  arc  the  Godavery,  which  rises 
near  Nasik,  in  the  western  mountains,  and  flows  in  its  general  south-east  course 
to  the  sea — the  Bay  of  Bengal — at  Coringa,  nearly  three  hundred  miles  north  of 
Madras  ;  the  Sina,  which  rises  near  Ahmednuggur,  and  runs  nearly  south,  till 
its  junction  with  the  Bhima,  a  few  miles  beyond  the  city  of  Sholapur ;  the 
Bhima,  which  rises  near  Junir  in  the  western  mountains,  and  flows  south  and 
then  south-east,  till,  after  it  receives  the  Sina  river,  it  joins  the  Krishna  ;  and 
the  Krishna,  (Kistna  of  the  maps.)  This  rises  in  the  mountains  north-west  of 
Satara,  and  flows  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  receiving  the  Bhima  near  Rai- 
chur ;  and  after  receiving  the  Tungabadra  from  the  south,  flows  north-east,  and 
then  again  turns,  and  reaches  the  Bay  of  Bengal  about  two  hundred  miles  north 
of  Madras.     There  are  many  tributaries  to  these  larger  streams. 

Climate. 

The  climate  is  very  different  in'dififerent  parts  of  this  country.  In  the  region 
of  the  mountains  more  rain  falls  than  on  the  plains.  Being  within  the  tropics, 
the  rains  occur  at  one  season  of  the  year,  from  June  to  October.  Soon  after 
the  sun  passes  north  of  any  parallel  of  latitude,  in  his  course  from  the  Equator 
to  the  Tropic  of  Cancer,  the  winds  begin  to  blow  from  the  sea.  The  moisture 
gathers  in  the  air ;  the  rain  begins  to  fall  upon  the  summits  of  the  western 
range  of  mountains.  As  these  summit  regions  get  saturated  from  the  moisture 
condensed  there,  the  rain  falls  in  the  district  to  the  west,  and  along  the  sea- 
shore. Then,  after  a  little  time,  the  clouds  pass  over  the  mountain  sunuuits, 
and  the  rain  falls  upon  the  plains  beyond.  The  clouds  also  move  along  the 
line  of  the  northern  range  of  mountains.  Much  more  rain  fiills  among  these 
hills  than  in  the  plains  to  the  south  of  them.    The  fertility  of  these  eastern  dis- 


THE   MAHRATTA   MISSIOX.  0 

tricts  depends  very  much  upon  the  regular  supply  of  the  rains  at  the  proper 
season  of  the  year.  If,  from  any  cause,  these  fail  to  come  at  the  usual  time, 
there  is  much  suffering.  The  crops  can  not  grow,  the  heads  of  grain  can  not 
fill,  a  famine  is  apprehended;  the  grass  withers,  and  the  cattle  famish. 

The  Koiikan  is  abundantly  supplied  with  water  from  these  regular  rains. 
Hence  the  climate  along  the  sea-coast  is  moist,  and  in  general  debilitating.  The 
mercury  in  the  thermometer  does  not  rise  as  high  as  it  docs  in  the  interior ; 
but  the  variation  of  temperature  between  day  and  night  is  very  slight,  and  hence 
the  climate  is  trying  to  foreigners.  The  sun  boats  down  with  tremendous 
power  in  the  valleys  and  deep  gorges.  The  people  show  the  power  of  the  sun 
in  their  complexion,  which  is  generally  darker  than  that  of  people  living  in  the 
interior.  They  are  usually  smaller  in  stature,  and  perhaps  feebler  in  body. 
The  reason  of  this  is  to  be  found  in  the  moist,  enervating  climate.  God  has 
provided  a  relief,  however,  in  the  mountain  summits,  which  overhang  the  whole 
district.  If  a  fever  should  attack  a  person  in  the  lowlands,  he  can,  in  the  course 
of  a  few  hours,  be  placed  in  an  entirely  different  climate,  one  which  will  usually 
prove  an  antidote  to  the  disease.  And  again,  a  fever  attacking  a  person  in  the 
interior,  may  oftentimes  be  checked  by  bringing  the  patient  into  the  mild  and 
soft  air  of  the  sea-coast. 

The  interior  of  the  country  has  less  rain  than  falls  along  the  coast.  At  the 
same  time,  being  in  general  higher  than  the  region  upon  the  coast,  the  pressure 
of  the  atmosphere  is  less,  and  evaporation  is  more  rapid.  This  makes  the  cli- 
mate dry.  For  a  part  of  the  year  cold  winds  prevail.  At  another  time,  hot 
winds  blow  from  the  north- east  over  the  land.  The  climate  is  thus  more  varia- 
ble than  that  upon  the  sea-coast.  The  temperature  of  the  hot  days  of  April  and 
May  is  much  higher,  but  at  the  same  time  the  air  cools  down  at  night,  in  the 
absence  of  the  sun.  This  gives  an  agreeable  and  refreshing  change  ever}' 
twenty-four  hours.  The  western  part  of  the  interior  is  under  the  influence  of 
the  sea-breezes  also,  while  in  the  regions  more  to  the  east  the  heat  is  excessive. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  interior  are  usually  taller,  more  muscular  and  vigorous ; 
and,  in  some  cases  at  least,  lighter  in  complexion  than  those  upon  the  sea-coast. 
From  this  part  of  the  country  went  forth  those  hordes  of  irregular  cavalry,  the 
Mahratta  Horse,  which  overran  such  a  great  part  of  Hindusthan,  in  the  last 
century. 

Productions. 

In  the  Konkan,  rice  is  the  main  article  of  cultivation.  This  grows  also,  of 
different  qualities,  along  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  and  in  the  valleys  east  of 
the  Ghats.  Farther  inland,  little  rice  is  raised,  and  that  mostly  along  the  banks 
of  some  small  streams,  affording  peculiar  facilities  for  irrigation.  Various  kinds 
of  grain  are  grown  in  the  interior,  such  as  are  adapted  to  the  climate  and  the 
soil.  Wheat  can  be  grown  on  the  uplands,  where  there  is  a  good  supply  of 
rain,  and  also  in  fields  which  are  so  situated  that  they  can  be  irrigated  at  times 
tf  necessary.  A  little  corn  (maize)  is  grown,  principally  in  gardens,  and  it  is 
eaten  usually  green,  roasting  the  ears.  Sugar-cane  is  extensively  grown,  and 
also  hemp,  and  some  flax.  Tobacco  is  also  raised.  In  the  north-eastern  and 
the  south-eastern  parts  of  the  Mahratta  country,  cotton  grows  of  good  quaUty. 
The  production  is  increasing,  in  connection  with  facilities  afforded  by  the  rail- 
way for  getting  it  to  the  seaport,  and  thence  to  England  and  America,  for  man- 


6  TUE  MAHRAITA   MISSION. 

ufacture.  By  far  the  greatest  part  of  what  is  now  raised  is  manufactured  in 
the  country.  Oil  seeds  of  various  kinds  arc  grown  in  the  southern  parts  of  the 
country,  and  shipped  to  Europe.  The  staple  product  of  the  Mahratta  country, 
however,  is  grain,  the  grain  which  is  used  by  the  natives.  This  is  of  several 
varieties  and  distinct  species,  not  grown  in  this  land.  The  regions  watered  by 
the  Bhiina  and  the  Godavery  are  known  as  the  granaries  of  Western  India.  The 
tropical  fruits  abound  in  the  country.  Cocoa-nuts  and  the  fruit  of  various  spe- 
cies of  palms  are  found  abundantly  in  the  Konkan.  Oranges,  limes,  and  grapes 
grow  in  the  interior.  Mangoes  and  bananas,  or  plantains,  guavas,  etc.,  are  found 
every  where. 

Principal  Cities. 

Bombay  is  the  principal  city.  It  is  the  seaport  of  the  whole  country,  and  the 
metropolis  of  the  Presidency.  It  is  situated  on  the  island  of  that  name.  The 
island  contains  seven  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  under 
one  municipal  government.  It  is  the  residence  of  the  Governor  for  a  part  of 
the  year.  It  is  essentially  a  European  city,  having  grown  up  from  a  small  vil. 
lage  of  fishermen's  huts  to  its  present  size  since  its  occupation  by  the  English. 
It  'S  situated  in  latitude  101-°  north,  and  in  longitude  12^°  east.  Having  the 
finest  harbor  in  Ilindusthan,  and  being  the  nearest  point  to  Europe  by  present 
modes  of  travel,  it  is  likely  to  grow  still  more,  and  be  more  and  more  important 
in  the  future.  It  will  soon  be  connected  with  London  by  a  line  of  telegraph. 
From  this  point  lines  of  railway,  in  process  of  construction,  stretch  south-cast 
toward  Madras,  north-east  to  connect  with  the  line  running  north-west  from 
Calcutta,  and  north,  along  the  sea-shore,  to  reach  the  cotton-fields  of  the  north, 
in  Guzerat. 

Poona  is  the  principal  city  of  the  Mahratta  country  above  the  OMis.  It  is 
ninety  miles  south-east  from  Bombay,  with  which  place  it  is  connected  by  rail. 
It  has  a  population  of  one  hundred  thousand.  It  is  the  seat  of  government  for 
the  Presidency  a  part  of  the  year,  and  the  principal  military  station.  It  is  the 
great  grain-market  of  that  part  of  the  country. 

SJiolapur  is  a  city  of  seventy-five  thousand  inhabitants,  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  miles  south-east  from  Bombay,  and  connected  with  Poona  and 
Bombay  by  the  railway.  It  is  on  the  Sina  river,  above  its  junction  with  the 
Bhiina.  It  is  a  mart  for  cotton  and  oil-seeds,  which  are  raised  largely  in  that 
region. 

Ndgpur,  near  the  north-east  point  of  the  Mahratta  country,  is  a  city  of  much 
consequence,  having  been  the  seat  of  power  of  one  portion  of  the  Mahratta 
princes. 

Vinrdwati,  thirty  miles  distance  south  of  Nagpur,  is  the  center  of  a  cotton- 
growing  region. 

N'asik  is  a  holy  city  of  the  Hindus,  situated  near  the  top  of  the  western  moun- 
tains, about  eighty  miles  north-east  of  Bombay.  It  has  many  temples  and 
places  of  reputed  sanctity,  and  a  large  population  of  Brahmins,  priests  and  the 
like. 

Ahmednuggur  was  a  seat  of  a  Mohammedan  kingdom,  tributary  to  the  Emperor 
of  Delhi,  before  the  rise  of  the  Mahrattas.  It  contains  about  thirty  thousand 
•nhabitants,  and  is  situated  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  east  from  Bombay. 


THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION.  7 

It  is  a  mart  for  grain  from  the  region  along  the  Godavery  river,  and  of  cotton 
from  the  north-east. 

Satdra  is  a  city  of  twenty-eight  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  at  the  eastern 
base  of  the  Ghats,  in  tlie  Dakhan.  It  has  an  elevation  of  more  than  two  thou- 
sand fuct  above  the  sea  level.  It  was  the  original  seat  of  the  Mahratta  power, 
and  continued  to  be  the  residence  of  the  king  while  that  power  remained  inde- 
pendent. 

Kolapur  is  a  city  of  forty  thousand  people,  seventy  miles  south  from  Satara, 
and  like  it  is  situated  very  near  the  western  mountains.  It  is  the  seat  of  a  Mah- 
ratta piincipality  at  the  present  time. 

EatncKjiri  is  a  town  of  twenty  thousand  people,  on  the  seacoast,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  south  from  Bombay,  a  commercial  center  of  that  region.  Bcl- 
gaum  is  south-east  from  Ratnagiri  one  hundred  miles,  in  the  southern  Mah- 
ratta country,  and  has  a  population  of  fifty  thousand.  Maliga^wi  is  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  north-east  from  Bombay,  and  is  the  principal  city  of  the 
Khandesh  districts.  Aurangabad,  Jalna,  and  Ellichpur  are  important  cities  in 
the  interior. 

People  and  Languages. 

The  number  of  people  residing  in  the  Mahratta  country  is  variously  estimated 
at  from  ten  to  twelve  millions.  The  latter  is  perhaps  nearer  the  correct  esti- 
mate.    An  accurate  census  of  India  has  not  yet  been  obtained. 

The  great  majority  of  these  are  Hindus,  and  the  Mahrathi  is  their  language. 
In  the  districts  north  of  the  Mahratta  country  the  Guzarathi  is  spoken ;  east 
and  south-east,  the  Telugu ;  south,  the  Canarese,  (Kanadi.)  These  languages 
run  into  each  other,  along  the  borders  of  the  districts  where  they  are  spoken. 
There  is  consequently  a  great  difference  of  dialect  in  different  portions  of  the 
country.  In  some  districts  these  dialects  assume  almost  the  characteristics  of 
distinct  languages. 

There  are  many  Mohammedans  in  the  country,  especially  at  all  the  large 
places.  A  few  families  are  found  even  in  the  small  villages.  Some  of  these  are 
descendants  of  the  original  conquerors  of  the  country;  others  are  descended 
from  Hindus,  who  embraced  the  Mohammedan  faith  centuries  ago.  The  proper 
language  of  the  Mohammedans  is  Hindustani,  but  in  the  country  they  usually 
speak  the  Mahrathi. 

In  Bombay  are  many  Parsis.  They  are  descended  from  the  Persian  fire-wor- 
shipers, who  fled  from  that  country  at  the  time  of  the  Mohammedan  persecu- 
tions, and  found  an  asylum  in  India.  They  adopted  the  language  of  the  people 
who  received  them,  and  were  permitted  to  continue  their  own  practices  in  mat- 
ters of  religion.  They  are  an  enterprising,  thrifty  people.  They  go  as  traders 
into  all  the  large  places  in  the  interior.  Many  of  the  Parsi  riierchants  of  Bom- 
bay are  largely  engaged  in  trade  with  China  and  Europe,  having  their  branch 
houses  in  Canton,  and  in  London,  and  elsewhere.  These  Parsis  speak  a  dialect 
of  the  Guzarathi  language,  having  a  large  admixture  of  Persian.  Nearly  half 
the  Hindus  in  Bombay  speak  the  Guzarathi,  as  their  vernacular. 

A  race  of  mountaineers  is  found  in  the  northern  part,  among  the  moun- 
tains which  border  the  Mahratta  country.  They  are  called  Khonds.  They 
are  probably  aboriginal  inhabitants,  descendants  of  those  who  occupied  the 


8  THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION. 

countrj'  before  the  Hindus  came  there.  They  do  not  worship  the  Hindu  gods, 
but  have  idols  of  their  own.  They  arc  distinguished  from  the  Hindus  in  other 
ways.  They  use  intoxicating  drinks  to  excess,  but  they  are  perfectly  truthful. 
They  also  do  not  violate  the  seventh  Commandment. 

There  arc  a  few  Bhlls  met  with  in  various  places,  who  arc  also,  in  all  proba- 
bility, descendants  of  the  early  inhabitants.  They  are,  however,  not  distin- 
guished from  the  Hindus  in  language  and  customs.  They  are  employed  as 
watchmen  and  night-guards.  They  are  great  thieves.  It  has  been  diflScult  to 
induce  them  to  cultivate  the  soil  for  their  living. 

Perhaps,  also,  we  find  traces  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  in  the  various 
out-castes,  who  are  now  all  over  the  land  ;  living  outside  the  walls  of  villages, 
in  parts  of  the  country  where  the  villages  arc  walled,  and  in  other  places,  in  a 
degraded  position.  These  people  have  adopted  the  Hindu  gods,  and  practice 
many  of  the  rites.  Yet  they  have  some  customs  which  seem  to  separate  them 
from  the  Hindus  of  good  standing.  It  is  supposed  the  Hindus  may  have 
adopted  some  of  the  idols  of  the  aboriginal  people,  whom  they  conquered,  into 
their  own  pantheon,  in  order  to  secure  their  good  will.  These  Mahars  and 
Mangs  however,  are  very  different  from  the  Khonds  at  present ;  at  least  in 
the  good  qualities  mentioned, 

Beligions. 

The  Hindus  may  all  be  properly  called  idolaters.  They  worship  a  vast  num- 
ber and  great  variety  of  gods,  and  have  an  endless  diversity  of  forms  and  rites 
of  worship.  Some  there  are  who  worship  no  images,  and  yet  may  be  called 
idolaters.  Some  worship  the  elements  of  nature,  namely,  fire,  water,  air  and 
earth.  Generally  images  or  symbols  will  be  found  in  every  house.  Temples 
are  very  numerous.  And  they  multiply  the  objects  of  worship,  the  number  of 
their  temples,  or  their  images,  almost  at  pleasure.  A  plant  producing  a  strong- 
scented  flower,  or  a  tree  which  is  useful,  or  used  in  many  ways,  may  be  a 
special  divinity.  Any  plant,  any  animal,  even  the  lifeless  rocks  and  stones, 
may  be  proper  objects  of  worship,  if  so  regarded  by  the  worshiper.  Snakes 
and  monkeys  are  special  objects  of  worship.  Men  who  profess  to  teach  others 
about  the  gods  may  themselves  be  proper  objects  of  devotion.  The  bones  of  a 
dead  man  often  become  enshrined,  and  thus  a  new  object  of  worship  is  pro- 
duced. They  pay  religious  homage  to  deceased  ancestors,  particularly  during 
one  month  of  the  year.  Believing  in  the  transmigration  of  the  soul,  they  fancy 
the  spirit  of  the  departed  may  be  present  in  the  body  of  the  crow,  who  comes 
at  their  call,  to  eat  up  the  portion  of  food  which  has  been  prepared  as  a  sacri- 
fice. 

Beside  the  general  objects  of  worship  common  to  all,  separate  classes  have 
their  own  objects'.  The  cultivator  of  the  soil  worships  the  ox  which  draws 
his  plow.  A  particular  day  is  set  apart  for  this  worship.  Men  in  various 
trades  worship  the  tools  and  implements  they  use.  The  merchant  must  have 
an  image,  or  symbol  of  his  god  drawn  by  the  Brahman  m  all  his  account- 
books.  On  a  particular  day,  the  money-lenders  worship  the  coin  they  have 
in  their  shops.  The  scholar  will  worship  his  books.  The  picture  of  the  god 
of  learning  must  be  drawn  upon  the  slate  of  the  child,  just  beginning  his  let- 
ters ;  and  his  first  l.sson  at  school  is  to  bow  down  before  that  image,  which 


THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION.  9 

the  teacher  draws,  and  to  make  a  proper  offering  to  it.  As  in  the  days  of 
llabakkuk,  (Hab.  1  :  IG,)  the  fisherman  now  offers  to  his  drS,g-net.  There  are 
gods  in  the  temples,  gods  beside  the  highways,  gods  upon  the  tops  of  the  hills, 
gods  under  the  green  trees,  gods  in  the  house,  gods  in  the  field  ;  the  air  is  full 
of  them,  so  is  the  sea,  so  are  all  things.  A  man  himself  may  be  said  to  be, 
and  by  multitudes  believed  to  be,  the  abode  of  divinity. 

The  underlying  idea  of  all  this  idol-worship  is  probably  the  worship  of  na- 
ture. God  is  every  where,  says  the  Christian,  and  the  Hindu  agrees  with 
him  ;  God  is  every  thing  as  well,  adds  the  Hindu,  and  so  it  is  equally  true,  in 
his  estimation,  that  every  thing  is  God,  and  may  be  acknowledged  and  wor- 
shiped as  God.  All  objects  in  nature  show  forth  the  power  and  wisdom  of 
God  ;  hence,  says  the  Hindu,  any  thing  may  be  w^orshiped.  All  is  divine. 
All  that  is  needed  is  that  faith  on  the  part  of  the  worshiper  which  will  '  make  ' 
the  thing  worshiped  real  to  him.  It  may  appear  but  a  stone  ;  the  inner  eye 
sees  not  the  stone,  but  the  divinity ;  not  the  divinity  in  the  stone  ;  but  the  true 
thing  about  it  is  not  what  apx>ears^  a  stone ;  but  what  zs,  a  god.  So  the  learned 
men  argue  away  all  external  nature,  as  a  delusion,  a  vanity  deceiving  man. 
The  ignorant  man,  they  say,  needs  the  image  to  direct  his  thoughts  aright,  and 
to  help  him  in  his  worship.  The  enlightened  man  worships  not  the  image,  but 
transcends  that ;  and  passes  into  the  region  of  the  true,  when  he  worships. 
Still  this  idol-worship  is  necessary  to  secure  the  favor  of  the  gods.  The  reli- 
gion of  the  Hindus  seems  a  bundle  of  inconsistencies  to  any  one  beholding  the 
worship.  But  the  people  arc  very  much  in  earnest  about  it.  It  is  all  real, 
and  a  dreadful  reality  to  them.  They  dare  not  forego  the  daily  routine  of  ob- 
servances. Dire  calamities  are  constantly  ready  to  descend  upon  them,  if  they 
should  transgress  even  the  least  and  most  frivolous  of  these  appointments. 

The  Moliammedans  have  their  mosques,  and  are  all  thorough  monotheists. 
Some  of  their  practices  in  that  land  have  doubtless  received  a  coloring  from 
the  customs  of  the  Hindus,  with  whom  they  dwell ;  and  it  is  not  unusual  to 
see  Hindus  joining  in  certain  public  ceremonies  of  the  Mussulmans. 

The  Parsis  worship  the  elements,  particularly  fire,  and  the  sun,  as  the  source 
of  fire  and  light.  They  have  temples,  where  they  keep  the  sacred  fire  ever 
burning.  This  they  brought  with  them,  when  they  fled  from  Persia.  Into 
these  temples  no  one  whatever,  who  is  not  a  Parsi,  is  ever  admitted.  They 
worship  the  sun  at  his  rising  and  setting.  They  worship  by  the  sea- side  when 
possible,  and  employ  the  salt-water  in  their  rites. 

There  are  many  Roman  Catholics  in  Bombay  and  vicinity.  Those  of  for- 
eign extraction  are  mostly  descendants  of  the  Portuguese,  who  first  among 
Europeans  settled  in  this  part  of  the  land.  These  early  settlers  made  some 
converts  to  their  faith,  and  the  descendants  of  these  converts  are  still  found. 
They  are  very  degraded  however,  and  have  little  influence  in  the  community. 
They  are  generally  much  despised  by  the  Hindus. 

Caste. 

The  distinctions  of  caste  among  the  Hindus  are  very  numerous.  The  prac- 
tices required  by  these  distinctions  are  very  burdensome.  They  are  designed 
to  prevent  any  intermingling  of  different  orders  and  ranks.  Caste  is  by  birth, 
and  no  one  can  change  from  one  caste  to  another.     If  a  person  break  caste. 


10  THE   :\rAnRATTA   MISSION. 

he  is  no  longer  reckoned  as  of  any  standing  in  the  Hindu  order ;  he  is  an 
oiit-ca&te.  There  are  classes  in  the  community  who  are  not  reckoned  among 
the  regular  castes,  but  who  constitute  orders  or  castes  among  themselves. 
Such  are  the  Mahars  and  J^fangs.  According  to  true  Hindu  estimation,  for- 
eigners constitute  a  class  of  out-castes,  and  so  are  to  be  regarded  as  lower  in 
rank  than  the  Hindus  themselves,  even  those  of  low  caste.  Practically,  and  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  foreigners  are  the  rulers  in  this  land,  this  notion  is  disre- 
garded. But  when  any  Hindu  embraces  Christianity,  he  is  regarded  not  as 
having  risen  to  the  rank  in  which  the  rulers  of  the  land  are,  but  as  being 
defiled,  as  having  fallen  below  all  the  Hindus  into  the  lowest  possible  scale  of 
out-castes.  Every  indignity  is  put  upon  him  that  is  possible.  He  is  deprived 
of  the  use  of  water  from  the  public  wells  and  tanks,  shut  out  from  the  public 
schools,  and  cut  oflF  from  all  intercourse  with  relatives  and  friends,  as  far  as 
may  be.  This  inhumanity  is  restricted,  however,  by  the  influence  of  the  Eng- 
lish government ;  and  of  late  full  rights  of  Christians  have  been  guaranteed  to 
them  by  decisions  of  the  highest  authority.  Gradually  the  people  will  come 
to  understand  and  acknowledge  the  true  position  of  Christians.  This  is  that 
•of  other  classes  in  the  community,  such  as  Mohammedans  and  Parsis,  who  do 
not  observe  caste ;  above  those  who  do  regard  it. 

Many  of  the  customs  of  those  who  observe  caste  rules  are  very  trifling, 
even  ludicrous  ;  but  the  system  has  a  very  strong  hold  upon  all  persons. 
Different  castes  do  not  cat  together ;  specially  must  they  not  use  water  or 
other  liquid  which  a  person  of  lower  rank  may  have  touched.  Persons  of 
good  caste  can  not  eat  food  prepared  by  those  of  lower  rank ;  though  the  reverse 
is  allowed,  and  persons  of  lower  order  may  use  food  prepared  by  those  above 
them.  In  practice  there  is  some  relaxing  of  the  strictest  rules  ;  and  persons 
of  good  caste  often  do  eat  food  prepared  by  those  below  them.  There  is  no 
marrying,  save  f/i  the  caste  to  which  the  man  belongs. 

Trilling  infractions  of  caste  rules  and  customs  —  '  sins  of  ignorance '  — 
when  a  person  unwittingly  becomes  polluted ;  and  infractions  which  some- 
times occur  by  order  of  a  superior,  an  officer,  or  other,  who  pays  no  attention 
to  these  caste  rules  —  these  may  all  be  atoned  for  by  trifling  penances.  Some 
grosser  breaches  of  the  law  are  atoned  for,  and  the  person  restored  to  good 
standing  in  the  community,  by  his  making  presents  to  the  Brahmans,  and  un- 
dergoing a  disgusting  performance  of  so-called  'purification';  by  giving  a 
feast  to  the  leaders  of  the  caste  —  or  to  a  number  of  persons  of  the  caste  — 
usually  in  a  village,  to  all  the  men  belonging  in  the  same  rank,  and  who 
would  eat  together.  But  the  crime  of  renouncing  caste  altogether,  as  is  done 
by  all  who  join  the  Christian  church,  can  not  be  atoned  for  by  any  mode  as  yet 
discovered  in  the  sacred  books. 

Caste  is  a  part  of  the  religion  of  the  Hindus.  A  man  will  excuse  himself 
fi'om  the  performance  of  certain  acts,  which  may  be  requested  of  him,  by  say- 
ing that  to  do  so  is  contrary  to  his  religion,  or  contrary  to  his  caste,  mean- 
ing the  same  thing  in  either  case.  Indeed,  caste  has  a  stronger  hold  on  the 
Hindus  than  idolatry,  and  the  practices  of  their  religion,  oftentimes.  A  Brah- 
man will  write  a  l)ook  in  refutation  of  idol-worship,  for,  a  small  compensation  ; 
but  no  proffered  reward  would  induce  him  to  drink  a  glass  of  "water  brought 
into  the  room  by  a  low-caste  servant,  for  this  would  be  breaking  his  caste. 


THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION.  11 

Caste  is  so  intermingled  with  all  the  habits  and  feelings  of  the  Hindus,  that 
it  constitutes  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles  to  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  The 
system  is  a  master-piece  of  Satan.  All  things  pleasant  to  man  in  this  life  are 
so  arranged  as  to  bind  him  to  his  caste.  In  breaking  away  from  that,  he  breaks 
away  from  all  that  he  has  held  dear  on  earth.  Parents,  brothers,  sisters,  wife, 
children,  all  friends  and  acquaintances  must  look  upon  him  as  worse  than  dead, 
and  shun  his  presence  as  if  it  were  pollution  itself.  All  that  he  has  been 
taught  from  infoncy  of  the  inferiority  of  others,  of  their  polluted  condition  and 
degraded  habits,  lead  him  to  shun  any  association  with  Christians.  Natural 
antipathies,  strengthened  by  the  habits  and  training  of  all  his  life,  press  upon 
him  to  keep  him  where  he  is.  Only  an  influence  from  above  can  lead  a  man 
out  of  the  bondage  of  caste  into  the  "  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God." 

Even  when  young  men,  taught  in  the  English  language  and  science,  have 
outgrown  most  of  their  notions  in  regard  to  Hinduism  ;  when  they  regard  that 
as  absurd,  and  are  inclined  to  regard  all  systems  of  religion  as  alike  in  absurdity, 
and  beneath  the  attention  of  thinking  men,  they  yet  are  careful  to  observe 
some  of  the  more  important  distinctions  of  caste  law  ;  so  that  they  may  remain 
socially  in  the  same  position.  Still,  these  men  are  gradually  outgrowing  the 
system.  There  are  indications  of  a  somewhat  general  disregard  of  the  more 
burdensome  rules.  There  is  more  of  respect  shown  to  those  who  break  away 
from  their  caste  altogether.  With  the  onward  progress  of  Christianity,  we 
may  anticipate  a  more  rapid  disappearance  of  the  absurdities  and  almost  cruel- 
ties of  the  caste  system.  This  is  to  be  brought  about  through  the  influence  of 
Christianity.  All  the  progress  of  commerce  and  the  arts  has  not  as  yet 
availed  to  do  more  than  to  weaken  the  system.  Christianity  necessitates  its 
overthrow. 

THE     MISSION. 

I.  Bombay. — The  first  missionaries  of  the  American  Board  who  were  sent 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen,  were  Samuel  Newell,  Adoniram  Judson, 
Samuel  Nott,  Gordon  Hall  and  Luther  Rice.  They  went  forth  not  knowing 
whither  they  went.  Their  wish  was  to  reach  the  great  idolatrous  countries  of 
the  East.  Their  attention  had  been  drawn  somewhat  to  Burmah.  As  Cal- 
cutta was  the  port  to  which  vessels  sailed  from  this  country,  and  was  itself  in 
the  midst  of  the  great  heathen  kingdoms  which  they  wished  to  reach,  the  mis- 
sionaries first  went  there.  Three  of  them,  Mr.  Nott,  with  his  wife,  Mr.  Hall 
and  Mr.  Rice,  sailed  from  Philadelphia.  The  others,  Mr.  Judson  and  Mr. 
Newell,  with  their  wives,  sailed  from  Salem.  This  was  in  February,  1811. 
War  with  Great  Britain  was  soon  after  declared.  When  these  ships  arrived  at 
Calcutta,  the  missionaries  found  themselves  in  a  trying  position,  as  citizens  of 
a  country  at  war  with  the  government  which  ruled  India. 

Messrs.  Judson  and  Newell  arrived  some  weeks  before  the  others.  They 
were  first  ordered  to  return  to  America  in  the  ship  which  had  brought  them 
out.  At  this  time  the  restrictions  imposed  by  the  East-India  Company  upon 
the  residence  of  foreigners  in  India  had  not  been  removed.  Missionaries  were 
not  allowed  to  reside  in  the  territories  subject  to  the  Company.  The  Christian 
firiends  of  missions  in  Calcutta  and  vicinity  received  the  American  brethren  with 
great  cordiality.     Soon  the  first  order  to  the  missionaries,  that  they  must  re- 


12  THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION. 

turn  to  America  in  the  ship  which  brought  them  out,  was  changed,  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  their  earnest  memorials  to  government,  they  were  permitted 
to  leave  the  territories  subject  to  the  Company  and  go  to  any  other  place 
whatever. 

They  anxiously  looked  for  a  place.  Hearing  that  the  Governor  of  the  Mauri- 
tius desired  the  establishment  of  a  mission  there,  Mr.  Newell  sailed  for  Port 
Louis  with  his  wife,  leaving  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson,  (who  propose:!  soon  to  fol- 
low them,)  as  there  was  no  room  for  more  passengers  in  the  ship  on  which  they 
went.  A  few  days  after  Mr.  Ncwell's  departure,  the  other  ship  arrived  from 
America  ;  and  these  missionaries  were  also  ordered  to  return  at  once  in  it. 
They  presented  a  written  request  that  they  also  might  be  allowed  to  go 
to  the  Isle  of  France  by  any  vessel  going  thither.  The  request  was  granted. 
No  opportunity  for  their  going  occurred  till  near  the  end  of  the  year.  Mrs. 
Newell  died  at  Port  Louis  on  the  30th  November. 

About  the  last  of  August  Mr.  Judson  announced  to  the  Baptist  missionaries 
at  Serampur  that  he  had  changed  his  views  on  the  subject  of  baptism.  He  was 
received  by  them,  and,  with  his  wife,  was  immersed  the  first  Sabbath  in  Sep- 
tember. Mr.  Rice  also  joined  the  Baptists  in  October.  Soon  after  an  oppor- 
tunity occurred  for  these  three  persons  to  proceed  to  Mauritius,  which  they  em- 
braced. From  there  Mr.  Rice  returned  to  America,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson 
afterward  went  to  Madras,  and  thence  to  Rangoon,  and  commenced  the  Baptist 
mission  to  Burmah, 

Messrs.  Hall  and  Nott  remained  for  a  time  at  Calcutta,  but  at  length  removed, 
near  the  end  of  the  year,  to  Bombay.  A  new  Governor  of  this  Presidency,  Sir 
Evan  Nepean,  had  arrived  ;  and  as  he  was  a  Vice-President  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  a  friend  of  missions,  they  resolved  to  attempt  the 
establishment  of  a  mission  there.  Thus  the  work  began  in  difficulty  and  trial. 
But  a  long  period  of  trial  was  before  them.  Unfavorable  reports  had  preceded 
them  from  Calcutta,  and  they  found  themselves  objects  of  suspicion  and  under 
the  surveillance  of  the  police.  After  some  months  they  were  ordered  to  pro- 
ceed to  England  in  a  ship  then  nearly  ready  to  sail.  Desirous  of  still  remaining 
in  the  country,  they  made  an  effort  to  reach  Ceylon  in  a  private  manner.  They 
were,  however,  arrested  at  Cochin,  and  brought  back  to  Bombay,  and  kept  as 
prisoners  aboard  the  ship,  and  were  directed  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to 
sail  for  I'^ngland  in  the  next  ship.  They  determined  to  make  one  more  appeal 
to  the  Christian  gentleman  at  the  head  of  the  government.  It  was  a  bold,  faith- 
ful, Christian,  yet  perfectly  respectful  appeal.*  In  reply  to  this,  they  were 
permitted  to  remain  until  further  instructions  should  come  from  the  supreme 
government  at  Calcutta. 

Meantime  the  charter  of  the  East-India  Company  had  been  renewed,  with  a 
most  important  modification.  The  act  of  Parliament  renewing  the  charter  for 
twenty  years,  from  181.3,  recognized  the  duty  of  the  people  of  Great  Britain  to 
promote  Christianity  in  India.  It  declared  that  persons  having  that  object  in 
view  should  be  permitted  to  reside  there,  subject  to  the  local  government,  and 
acting  in  conformity  with  the  principles  on  which  the  natives  had  claimed  the 
free  exercise  of  their  religions.     But  missionaries  who  were  on  the  ground  were 

*  It  may  bo  found  in  Tracy's  History  of  A.B.C.F.M.,  p.  43. 


THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION.  13 

specially  excepted  from  the  benefit  of  this  act.  The  friends  of  the  mission  in 
England  were  active  in  the  efibrt  to  procure  an  authoritative  decision  in  favor 
of  their  staying.  The  governments  at  Calcutta  and  Bombay  had  sent  to  Eng- 
land copies  of  the  entire  correspondence,  with  their  own  account  of  all  trans- 
actions in  reference  to  the  American  missionaries.  The  subject  came  before  the 
Court  of  Directors  of  the  East-India  Company.  They  were  about  passing  a 
resolution  lequiring  the  removal  of  the  missionaries  and  the  censure  of  all  their 
own  civil  and  ecclesiastical  servants  who  had  aided  them.  Then  the  venerable 
Sir  Charles  Grant,  once  Chairman  of  the  Court,  presented  a  written  argument 
defending  the  missionaries,  and  showing  that  the  governments  in  India  had 
mistaken  and  transcended  their  authority  in  requiring  the  removal  of  the  mis- 
sionaries from  the  country.  This  argument  prevailed.  Dispatches  were  sent 
to  Bombay,  stating  that  the  object  of  the  missionaries  seemed  to  be  simply  the 
promotion  of  religion,  and  authorizing  their  residence  in  the  country. 

This  was  the  real  opening  of  India  to  missionary  labor.  The  first  English 
missionaries  who  applied  to  the  Court  of  Directors  of  the  East-India  Company 
for  permission  to  proceed  to  India,  after  the  passage  of  the  Charter  Act  of  1813, 
were  refused  a  permit  by  the  Court.  This  shows  their  determination  to  allow 
of  no  efforts  to  convert  the  natives  to  Christianity.  When  they  were  afterward 
persuaded  to  allow  the  residence  of  American  missionaries,  they  could  no  longer 
refuse  permission  to  their  own  countrymen  and  others.  The  persistent  efforts 
of  the  American  missionaries  to  obtain  a  foot-hold  in  the  land,  and  of  the  Board 
to  secure  for  them  proper  guaranties  and  protection,  aided  as  these  efforts  were 
by  those  of  Christian  friends  in  England  and  India,  had  gained  an  object  de- 
serving of  the  gratitude  of  the  whole  Christian  world.  They  accomplished 
a  result  which  the  Act  of  Parliament  had  failed  to  secure.  This  was  done 
while  the  brethren  were  virtually  treated  as  prisoners,  residing  in  the  Admiralty 
House  at  Bombay,  and  liable  to  be  sent  to  England  at  any  time. 

Mr.  Newell  came  from  the  Isle  of  France  to  Colombo,  in  Ceylon,  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  after  the  death  of  his  wife.  Here  he  resided,  engaged  in  the 
study  of  the  languages  spoken  at  Bombay  as  far  as  he  could,  and  preaching  in 
English  to  the  European  and  half-caste  people,  of  whom  he  found  thousands  in 
need  of  instruction.  Early  in  the  year  1814  he  joined  his  brethren  in  Bombay, 
and  at  once  engaged  with  all  earnestness  in  the  work  of  the  mission.  He  made 
such  representations  of  the  state  of  things  in  Ceylon,  the  friendliness  of  the 
government,  and  the  accessibility  of  the  natives,  that  the  Board  was  induced 
to  send  a  mission  there. 

The  missionaries  had  not  been  idle  during  the  long  period  of  suspense  in  re- 
gard to  the  permission  for  them  to  stay  in  the  country.  They  had  acquired 
much  facility  in  the  use  of  the  Mahrathi  language,  and  had  begun  to  preach  in 
the  streets  of  the  city.  They  had  translated  short  portions  of  the  Bible,  and 
some  tracts  into  the  language.  These  they  would  read  to  the  people  as  they 
had  opportunity,  and  learn  from  their  remarks  whether  they  were  intelligible 
or  not. 

In  1815  Mr.  Nott  returned  to  the  United  States,  it  being  the  opinion  of  the 
phj-sician  that  his  constitution  was  entirely  unfit  for  labor  in  that  climate.  He 
had  suffered  much  from  liver  complaint. 

About  the  clos3  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Bardwell  arrived  at  Bombay.     He  was 


14  THE   MAIIIIATTA   MISSION. 

acquainted  with  printing.  A  press  and  types  were  procured.  This  was  the 
commencement  of  an  agency  which  has  been  greatly  used  in  the  service  of  the 
Gospel  in  Western  India,  the  fruits  of  wliich  are  manifest  more  and  more. 

Early  in  1818  two  new  missionaries  arrived.  Rev.  A.  Graves  was  stationed  at 
Mahim,  a  large  village  on  the  upper  end  of  Bombay  Island,  and  Rev.  J.  Nichols 
proceeded  to  Tanna,  on  the  island  of  Salsette,  twenty-five  miles  from  Bombay. 
Here  he  remained  till  his  death  in  182.3.  The  station  has  never  since  been  oc- 
cupied. Mr.  Graves  remained  at  Mahim,  laboriously  at  work  in  the  care  of 
schools  on  the  island  and  also  on  the  continent,  and  engaged  in  preaching  and 
translations,  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Hall  in  1825,  when  the  demands  of  the  work 
in  Bombay  called  him  there.  Afterward,  the  failure  of  his  health  compelled 
him  to  go  for  a  season  to  the  Nilagiri  Hills,  from  which  he  returned  to  com- 
mence a  new  mission  at  Ahmednuggur  in  1831.  Mahim  has  never  since  been 
the  residence  of  a  missionary. 

In  1821  Mr.  Bardwell  was  compelled  to  return  to  this  country  by  the  failure 
of  his  health.  His  place  was  supplied  by  Mr.  Garrett,  who  had  joined  the 
mission  to  Ceylon,  but  whom  the  government  of  the  island  ordered  to  leave. 
Mr.  Newell  was  removed  by  cholera  in  April.  He  was  one  of  the  four  young  men 
whose  request  to  be  sent  to  the  heathen  had  been  the  means  of  calling  the 
Board  into  existence.  In  1825,  the  only  remaining  member  of  the  little  band, 
that  formed  the  mission,  Rev.  Gordon  Hall,  was  removed  by  death.  He  died 
at  a  small  village  in  the  interior,  about  seventy  miles  north-east  of  Bombay. 
He  had  been  at  Nasik,  on  a  tour  for  preaching  and  distributing  books.  The 
cholera  was  raging.  Soon  his  supply  of  medicine,  as  well  as  of  books,  was  ex- 
hausted, and  he  started  on  his  return  to  Bombay ;  but  was  himself  attacked  by 
the  dread  disease,  and  died  in  the  veranda  of  a  temple  at  Duli-Dhapur.  His 
last  words,  repeated  three  times,  were :  "  Glory  to  thee,  0  God  !"  He  con- 
tinued his  work  of  preaching  to  the  heathen,  exhorting  them  to  repent  and  for- 
sake their  sins,  until  the  very  last. 

Only  two  members  of  the  mission  were  left.  Most  of  the  time  since  then 
there  have  been  but  one  or  two  men  able  to  use  the  language  at  any  one  time 
in  Bombay.  The  care  of  the  press  has  at  times  required  nearly  all  the  strength 
of  one  missionary.  The  missionaries  have  from  the  beginning  been  active 
members,  and  often  officers,  of  the  Bible  and  the  Tract  Societies,  in  addition  to 
the  work  which  has  been  done  by  them  as  a  mission. 

At  present,  1801,  the  American  Board  has  but  one  missionary  in  that  great 
city.  Only  one  has  been  there  at  a  time  for  the  past  six  years.  There  is  a 
small  church  which  is  yearly  growing,  though  slowly.  There  is  a  native  pastor 
and  one  teacher  and  helper. 

In  1823  a  chapel  Avas  erected  in  the  native  town.  It  continued  in  use  as  a 
chapel  and  building  for  the  press  operations  until  1855,  when  another  more  con- 
venient one  was  erected  by  its  side.  The  chapel  is  plainly  to  be  seen,  but  a  few 
steps  distant,  from  the  great  thoroughfare  through  the  native  town.  It  stands 
in  an  open  place,  where  thousands  pass  every  hour  in  the  day.  Here  the  native 
pastor  preaches  upon  the  Sabbath.  Upon  the  steps  in  front  of  the  building 
and  in  the  large  entrance-way,  he  daily  takes  his  stand  to  preach  to  the  passers- 
by.  The  missionary  resides  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  from  this  chapel,  and 
has  another  large  room  used  for  a  school  and  preaching-room,  near  his  house, 


THE   MAIIRATTA   MISSION.  15 

where  he  has  his  daily  services.  There  arc  places  in  other  parts  of  the  town 
where  preachers  go  and  find  an  opportunity  of  giving  their  message  to  the  peo- 
ple. The  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  seems  to  have  been  spread  through  the 
city ;  yet  it  is  accompanied  by  many  false  notions,  and  it  is  so  hindered  that  it 
as  yet  hardly  takes  any  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

Obstacles. 

The  obstacles  to  the  Gospel  in  such  a  great  commercial  city  arc  immense. 
There  is  the  dead  weight  of  Hinduism,  which  we  must  meet  every  where  ; 
there  is  the  activity  of  Mohammedanism,  proclaiming  one  God  and  declaring  it- 
self the  divinely  appointed  religion  ;  there  is  the  infidelity  of  vast  numbers  of 
the  people.  They  are  brought  together,  and  by  mutual  intercourse  soon  learn 
to  despise  the  follies  of  idolatry,  and  yet  they  have  very  little  opportunity  to 
hear  of  any  better  way.  There  are  the  educated  young  men,  who  can  no  longer 
tolerate  the  absurdities  of  Hindu  philosophy,  and  who  regard  Mohammedanism, 
Parsiism  and  the  Gospel  as  standing  on  the  same  footing.  They  have  tried  one 
and  found  it  ftilse  ;  so  they  conclude  all  are  alike  false,  and  to  be  rejected  by 
those  who  would  be  wise.  The  great  mass  of  the  intelligent  and  educated  peo- 
ple are  fully  occupied  with  money-making,  for  which  abundant  facilities  are  af- 
forded. The  great  body  of  the  poor  are  pressed  down  by  the  effort  to  secure 
the  necessary  food  for  each  day. 

A  still  more  serious  obstacle  is  found  in  the  character  and  conduct  of  those 
whom  the  people  regard  as  Christians.  The  great  body  of  Europeans  make 
India  their  abode  for  purposes  of  gain  merely.  They  are  usually  seen  by  the 
natives  to  pay  scarce  a  seeming  outward  attention  to  the  affairs  of  religion. 
Men  would  soon  think,  from  their  conduct,  that  they  regarded  one  religion  or 
form  of  faith  about  as  much  as  another.  Some  even  give  tokens  of  regard  to 
Hindu  notions.  Christianity,  as  seen  in  the  conduct  of  such  persons,  appears 
as  a  kind  of  negation — a  7io-re\\g[on.  It  has  no  outward  form,  and  its  essence 
is  disregarded  by  its  followers.  More  powerful  than  this,  is  the  example  of 
those  men  coming  from  Christian  lands  who  live  in  gross  sensuality  and  vice. 
The  natives  of  Bombay  judge  the  Christian  religion  from  the  drunken  sailor, 
who  comes  on  shore  seeking  only  to  gratify  his  brutish  lusts  ;  abusing  and  beat- 
ing those  who  attempt  to  hinder  him,  or  those  whom  he  takes  a  fancy  to  abuse 
and  threaten,  whether  they  interfere  with  him  or  not.  These  ofF-scourings  of 
civilization,  more  degraded  than  the  heathen  themselves,  are  rather  the  repre- 
sentatives of  Christianity,  than  are  the  godly  men  and  women,  few  in  number, 
and  rarely  met  with  by  the  great  body  of  people,  who  seek  to  promote  the  true 
interests  of  the  people,  who  live  the  life  of  faith  and  love  among  the  Hindus. 

The  American  Mission,  though  the  oldest,  is  not  the  only  mission  in  Bombay. 
The  Church  Missionary  Society  of  England  has  a  large  mission  there.  It  has 
under  its  care  an  English  school  of  a  high  order,  with  many  vernacular  schools 
for  boys  and  girls  also,  and  other  schools,  male  and  female.  It  has  a  large 
churich,  with  a  native  pastor,  and  other  helpers,  some  of  whom  have  been  or- 
dained. There  are  two  Scotch  missions.  That  of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland  has  a 
large  educational  institution,  admirably  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  native  town. 
That  of  the  Free  Church  has  also  a  large  educational  institution,  a  female  board- 


16  THE   MAIIRATTA   MISSION. 

ing  school,  and  many  other  schools.  It  also  has  several  native  preachers, 
ordained,  and  a  church.  These  several  missions  working  together  in  harmony 
for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  present  a  striking  contrast  with  the  feebleness  of 
the  beginning,  when  two  men  began  to  prcacli  the  word,  while  under  the  sur- 
veillance of  the  police,  and  liable  to  be  deported  at  any  time. 

II.  Ahmednuggur. — The  stations  in  the  interior  began  with  the  advantage  of 
the  experience  which  had  been  gained  in  Bombay  and  vicinity.  One  of  the 
men  who  commenced  the  mission  had  been  more  than  thirteen  years  in  the 
country.  The  missionaries,  moreover,  were  accompanied  by  a  valuable  native 
helper  and  his  family,  and  one  or  two  other  Christians.  Tliese  formed  a  kind 
of  nucleus  of  a  Christian  community  at  the  beginning.  The  same  general 
modes  of  operation  have  been  followed  at  all  the  stations :  preaching  at  the 
stations ;  preaching  on  tours ;  distribution  of  the  Bible  and  tracts ;  schools,  both 
primary  and  boarding ;  schools  of  a  higher  order,  when  practicable,  to  educate 
teachers,  catechists  and  pastors ;  and  schools  for  girls,  primary  and  boarding. 

The  station  at  Ahmednuggur  was  occupied  in  December,  1831.  Mr.  Graves, 
who  had  been  nearly  fourteen  years  in  the  country,  was  accompanied  by 
Messrs.  Ilervey  and  Read,  new  missionaries.  Before  they  had  been  there  a 
half  year,  Mr.  Ilervey  was  taken  with  the  cholera  and  died.  Mr.  Graves' 
health  was  so  much  prostrated  by  his  residence  in  that  land,  that  he  was 
obliged  to  visit  America.  He  returned  to  India  after  an  absence  of  three  years, 
with  his  health  only  partially  restored,  and  took  up  his  residence  upon  the 
summit  of  the  hills  (the  Ghats)  at  Mahablcshwar,  where  he  continued  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  in  much  bodily  weakness,  till  his  death  in  1843.  A  number  of 
persons  professed  Christianity  at  this  place,  in  consequence  of  his  instructions. 

For  most  of  the  time  since  the  beginning  of  the  mission  work  at  Ahmednug- 
gur, two  brethren  have  constituted  the  force  at  the  station.  A  good  deal  of 
itinerary  work  was  done  in  the  earlier  years.  Brethren  traveled  extensively  in 
all  dii'ections,  and  preached  the  word,  and  distributed  books  and  tracts  as  they 
found  opportunity.  Such  preaching  tours  have  been  a  marked  feature  in  the 
operations  here.  Of  late,  in  consequence  of  increasing  interest  demanding  the 
attention  of  the  missionaries  near  their  stations,  there  has  been  little  of  the 
extended  exploring  work  done,  which  was  needed  at  first.  By  means  of  these 
tours,  openings  for  new  stations  have  been  found.  The  Gospel  has  been  car- 
ried as  far  as  Sholapur  on  the  south-east,  and  Nagpur  on  the  north-east ;  and 
in  many  of  the  villages  between  Ahmednuggur  and  Bombay  the  word  has 
been  preached ;  in  some  of  them  many  times. 

An  asylum  for  the  poor  had  been  opened  by  the  English  residents  before  the 
arrival  of  the  missionaries.  It  was  at  once  put  in  their  charge.  A  daily  serv- 
ice was  held  here,  for  the  benefit  of  these  unfortunates.  Soon  some  began  to 
show  marked  interest  in  the  instruction  given.  Near  the  close  of  the  first 
year,  three  persons  from  the  asylum  were  admitted  to  the  church.  The  natives, 
to  the  number  of  one  hundred,  were  present  on  that  occasion.  Many  expressed 
their  wish  to  be  baptized.  It  was  an  occasion  of  much  joy.  Babaji,  the  native 
catechist,  wept  for  joy.  Four  months  after,  several  others  were  added,  and  in 
March  a  Presbyterian  church  was  organized.  Mr.  Read  was  pastor,  Babaji 
elder,  and  Dajiba  deacon.     These  two  had  come  from  Bombay  with  the  mis- 


THE   MAHRATTA  MISSION.  17 

sionaries.  The  church  had  fourteen  members,  ten  of  whom  were  Hindus. 
These  early  hopes  were  not  fulfilled  at  once.  For  ten  years  there  were  but 
sixteen  baptisms  of  adults. 

In  1839  a  great  excitement  was  caused  in  the  city  by  the  baptism  of  Hari- 
pant,  a  Brahman  belonging  in  the  city,  and  of  a  most  respectable  family. 
There  was  a  mob,  and  Ilaripant  took  refuge  in  the  missionary's  dwelling. 
There  was  held  a  great  council  of  Brahmans,  at  which  it  was  determined  that 
if  any  one  attended  upon  the  preaching  of  the  missionaries,  or  upon  their 
schools,  or  used  their  books,  he  should  be  put  out  of  caste.  Their  schools 
were  broken  up.  But  in  a  few  days  all  was  quiet  again.  Ilaripant  had  been 
employed  first  as  a  teacher  and  then  as  an  inspector  of  schools.  Soon  after  he 
was  baptized,  his  brother  joined  him  and  was  also  baptized.  Haripant  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  his  young  wife  to  remain  with  him ;  but  his  brother  s 
wife  left  him,  with  her  son,  and  refused  to  have  any  thing  more  to  do  with  one 
whom  she  regarded  as  polluted,  worse  than  dead.  A  few  months  after,  a  friend 
of  Haripant's,  a  Brahmin  teacher,  joined  the  church.  It  was  a  time  of  great 
encouragement,  though  of  such  violent  opposition. 

In  1841-2,  there  occurred  a  season  of  refreshing.  Several  persons,  men  of 
some  influence  in  their  own  villages,  were  interested  in  the  truth  as  they  heard  it 
from  the  missionaries  on  their  tours.  In  1844,  some  persons  were  baptized 
belonging  to  villages  forty  miles  north  of  Ahmednuggur.  In  the  five  years, 
1841—45,  seventy -five  persons  were  baptized.  Some  of  these  had  been  religious 
teachers  among  the  Hindus.  Enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  became 
effective  preachers  of  the  word  to  their  own  countrymen.  Their  influence  was 
extensive  among  their  acquaintances,  and  those  to  whom  they  had  expounded 
Hinduism  before  ;  and  the  number  of  inquirers  was  much  increased.  The  in- 
fluence of  Christians  living  among  their  own  countrymen  began  to  be  felt.  In 
the  years  1845-51,  eighty  persons  were  received  to  the  church,  making  a  total 
of  171,  from  the  beginning  of  the  mission,  a  period  of  twenty  years.  The  next 
period  of  five  years,  from  1851-55,  witnessed  an  addition  of  90;  and  in  the 
five  years,  1856-61,  there  were  410  received,  making  500  for  the  ten  years,  and 
a  total  of  671  for  the  thirty  years  of  the  mission's  existence. 

Up  to  1854,  the  members  were  all  considered  as  belonging  to  one  central 
church.  They  might  reside  in  different  places ;  the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel 
might  be  administered  in  various  places,  wherever  Christians  resided,  but  they 
were  regarded  as  belonging  to  one  church.  The  close  of  1854  marks  a  change 
in  this  respect.  It  was  decided  that  churches  should  be  organized  in  different 
villages,  wherever  Christians  might  be  residing,  or  where  they  could  conve- 
niently meet  for  church  services.  The  only  limit  in  regard  to  numbers  is,  that 
there  shall  be  at  least  three  male  members,  of  whom  one  shall  be  of  such 
standing  and  influence  in  the  community  that  he  can  be  appointed  deacon 
or  elder.  Under  this  rule  twenty  churches  had  been  organized  up  to  the  close 
of  1861.  The  smallest  membership  in  any  one  church  was  9,  and  the  largest 
103.  In  these  twenty  churches  are  embraced  persons  living  in  ninety-six 
different  villages. 

The  first  churches  organized  on  the  new  plan,  were  the  first  and  second 
churches  in  Ahmednuggur.  Two  chapels  had  been  in  use ;  the  one  for  many 
years,  having  been  erected  soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  mission,  and 


18     .  THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION. 

tlie  other  quite  recently  opened,  in  another  part  of  the  city.  A  number  of 
persons  were  designated  from  the  whole  body  of  Christians,  which  were  re- 
garded as  constituting  the  Jirst  church,  to  form  the  second  church.  Both  these 
churches  chose  pastors,  Ilaiipant  for  the  first,  and  Ramkrishnapant  for  the 
second.  They  were  ordained  together,  in  the  chapel  of  the  first  church,  in 
December.  A  large  congregation  was  in  attendance.  The  sermon  was  preached 
by  Mr.  Ballantine.  The  charge  was  given  by  Rev.  Dr.  Anderson,  who  was 
then  in  India  in  company  with  Rev.  A.  C.  Thompson,  on  a  deputation  from  the 
A.B.C.F.M. ;  and  the  fellowship  of  the  churches  by  Mr.  Thompson.  Both 
these  parts  wore  at  once  translated  into  Mahrathi  for  the  benefit  of  the  audience. 
All  the  other  exercises  were  in  the  Mahrathi  language. 

Within  a  few  weeks  other  churches  were  formed  in  different  villages.  There 
were  no  pastors  for  them  at  the  time ;  and  they  were  placed  in  charge  ef  dea- 
cons under  the  direction  of  the  missionary  in  charge  of  the  district.  A  pastor 
was  ordained  over  the  church  at  Seroor,  in  1859.  In  1S60,  the  pastor  of  the 
second  church  in  Ahmednuggur  was  transferred  to  the  charge  of  the  church 
in  Bombay,  and  another  pastor  was  ordained  for  that  church.  It  is  hoped  that 
several  young  men  now  in  a  course  of  training  for  pastoral  duties  may  soon  be 
set  apart  for  the  work,  as  pastors  of  churches  in  the  villages.  One  man  has 
received  a  license  to  preach,  who  has  not  yet  been  ordained. 

It  is  evident  that  much  good  has  resulted  from  the  organization  of  these  local 
churches.  Each  has  been  a  light  in  its  own  locality.  The  Christians  thus 
brought  into  closer  union,  have  felt  more  responsibility  for  each  other,  and 
more  also  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  Doubtless  much  of  the  increase  in 
numbers  during  the  past  five  or  six  years  has  been  owing  to  the  greater  activ- 
ity of  the  church  members. 

Another  influence  has  been  that  of  separate  district  stations  occupied  by 
missionaries.     Of  these  it  is  important  now  to  write. 

Seroor.  Up  to  1841,  the  missionaries  all  resided  at  Ahmednuggur.  They 
went  from  this  point,  as  a  center,  in  all  directions,  on  their  preaching  tours. 
Thirty  miles  south-west  from  Ahmednuggur  is  Seroor,  on  a  tributary  of  the 
Bhima  river.  A  range  of  hills  separates  the  valley  in  which  Seroor  lies  from 
the  plain  on  which  Ahmednuggur  stands.  The  valley  is  narrow,  and  the  hill- 
sides barren.  There  are  very  few  villages  of  large  size  in  this  valley.  Seroor 
contains  five  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  a  post  of  some  military  importance. 
Formerly  there  was  a  large  cantonment  for  troops  here ;  but  of  late  years  it  is 
occupied  only  by  a  small  body  of  cavalry.  In  the  remoter  portions  of  the  dis- 
trict to  which  Seroor  is  central  are  several  large  villages  and  much  population ; 
it  is  thus  an  important  post  for  itinerary  labors.  More  than  one  hundred  vil- 
lao-es  are  usually  visited  by  the  missionary  and  his  native  assistants.  The  rail- 
way from  Bombay  towards  Madras  passes  about  twenty  miles  south  of  Seroor. 
Rev.  0.  French  commenced  the  station  in  1841.  At  the  close  of  1801  the 
church  had  a  native  pastor,  and  contained  twenty-seven  members.  The  church 
building  is  of  good  size,  and  conveniently  located,  for  the  use  of  the  Christ- 
ians, and  also  for  the  people  of  the  village,  when  any  are  willing  to  attend. 
There  are  two  out-stations,  one  a  few  miles  east  and  the  other  south  of  the 
station. 

Kolgaum  is  a  village  of  some  size,  eighteen  miles  east  from  Seroor,  and 


THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION.  19 

about  the  same  distance  south  of  Ahmednuggur.  It  is  near  the  base  of  the 
range  of  hills  which  separates  the  valley  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Bhima  river, 
from  that  of  the  Sina,  and  171  the  former.  It  has  been  for  many  years  an  out- 
station  of  Seroor.  No  missionary  has  made  his  permanent  residence  here  as 
yet.  It  is  central  to  a  number  of  villages,  and  affords  a  fine  field  for  itineracy. 
The  church  here  is  under  the  care  of  a  catechist,  and  contained  in  18G1  fifteen 
members.  There  were  three  out-stations,  on  the  west,  south  and  cast  re- 
spectively. 

Rahuri.  Passing  north  from  Ahmednuggur,  at  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  the 
traveler  reaches  some  isolated  hills,  among  which  is  found  the  head  of  the  Sina 
river.  This  is  the  end  of  the  plain,  or  valley,  in  which  Ahmednuggur  is  situ- 
ated. North  of  these  hills  the  country  seems  to  hrealc  down  at  once,  a  distance  of 
several  hundi-ed  feet,  into  the  great  valley  of  the  Godavery.  The  descent  is  pre- 
cipitous, except  where  a  road  is  made  winding  along  the  face  of  the  steep  cliffs. 
In  this  great  valley  are  four  stations  which  have  grown  out  of  the  labors  at 
Ahmednuggur.  The  region  is  very  fertile  and  populous.  Good  roads  pass 
through  it,  one  north  and  the  other  north-east  of  Ahmednuggur.  A  railway  is 
in  process  of  construction  from  Bombay  to  the  cotton-fields  near  Nagpur,  and 
on  toward  Calcutta.  This  will  pass  east  and  west,  through  a  part  of  the 
valley  occupied  by  the  American  mission. 

Rahuri  is  a  village  twenty-two  miles  from  Ahmednuggur,  where  a  court  is 
held,  and  the  public  business  of  a  district  is  attended  to.  It  has  a  population 
of  three  or  four  thousand.  It  is  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mula  river,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Godavery.  It  is  about  twelve  miles  from  the  range  of  hills  which 
form  the  head  of  the  Sina  valley — the  edge  of  the  table-land — and  less  than  that 
distance  from  the  hills  bordering  the  Godavery  valley  upon  the  west.  The  dis- 
trict of  Rahuri,  of  which  the  village  is  the  chief  place,  has  an  area  of  518  square 
miles,  and  a  population  of  50,000. 

Rev.  A.  Abbott  commenced  a  station  here  in  1858.  Several  Christians  were 
at  that  time  residing  within  the  limits  of  this  field,  and  a  church  was  organ- 
ized in  1851,  a  few  miles  south  from  Rahuri.  There  were  in  1861  five  churches 
in  the  district,  under  the  care  of  catechists,  and  six  out-stations.  The  five 
churches  had  an  aggregate  membership  of  109.  The  interest  in  divine  things 
seems  to  be  deepening  and  extending  in  all  directions.  Christians  have  at 
times  been  subjected  to  much  persecution  from  their  heathen  countrymen  ;  but 
their  rights  are  upheld  by  the  government,  and  they  are  becoming  better  un- 
derstood by  their  opposers. 

Khokar.  The  traveler  passing  on  to  the  north  of  Rahuri,  soon  reaches  the 
Prawara  river,  another  tributary  to  the  Godavery.  Crossing  this,  and  turning 
to  the  cast,  he  reaches  Khokar,  a  small  village,  forty  miles  north  of  Ahmed- 
nuggur. It  is  nearly  on  the  water-shed,  the  summit  of  the  rolling  prairie- 
land,  which  lies  between  the  Prawara  and  the  great  river,  the  Godavery,  and 
is  about  the  same  distance  from  the  two  rivers.  The  village  has  no  importance 
in  itself.  There  is  no  court  here,  and  no  market ;  the  population  is  very  small. 
An  interest  in  Christianity  was,  however,  very  early  developed  here,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  preaching  tours  of  the  missionaries.  Persons  from  this  village 
were  baptized  as  early  as  1845.  One  was  a  prominent  man  of  the  place.  He 
was  highly  esteemed  in  the  village,  and  in  the  region.     His  influence  in  favor 


20  THE   MAHRATTA   MISSION. 

of  the  truth  was  great.  Many  of  his  neighbors  joined  the  Church  from  time 
to  time.  There  were  men  in  several  other  villages  in  this  vicinity  who  also 
embraced  the  faith  of  Jesus  about  the  same  time. 

In  1854-,  it  was  resolved  to  make  this  a  station,  and  the  residence  of  a  mis- 
sionary. The  Christians  living  in  those  scattered  villages  needed  care  and  in- 
struction, such  as  they  could  not  get  while  the  missionary  lived  forty  miles 
away.  It  was  also  thought  that  great  good  would  result  from  the  residence  of 
the  missionary  here,  in  removing  the  i)rejudices  of  the  heathen.  Moreover, 
many  more  heathen  would  hear  the  truth.  These  results  have  been  abun- 
dantly secured.  Rev.  Mr.  Barker  commenced  his  residence  here  in  1855.  A 
church  was  organized  from  the  members  residing  in  the  place,  and  the  villages 
around.  There  were,  in  IBGl,  five  churches,  all  under  the  care  of  catechists, 
having  an  aggregate  membership  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen.  There  are 
also  eleven  out- stations  in  different  directions. 

Pimplns.  Directly  west  of  the  district  in  which  Khokar  is  situated,  is  a 
populous  region,  in  which  a  few  Christians  are  living,  and  in  which  some  inter- 
est in  the  ti'uth  has  been  of  late  awakened.  A  liberal  friend  of  the  mission 
has  erected  a  dwelling-house  and  chapel  at  Pimplus,  and  presented  them  to  the 
mission  for  their  acceptance  and  occupation  as  a  station.  The  district  is  at 
present  in  charge  of  the  missionary  at  Khokar. 

Waddh.  On  the  road  north-east  from  Ahmednuggur,  at  a  distance  of  twen- 
ty-six miles,  is  the  village  of  Wadale.  This,  like  Khokar,  has  no  importance  of 
its  own  ;  but  it  is  an  advantageous  site  for  mission  premises,  and  is  in  conve- 
nient proximity  to  a  large  number  of  villages  where  Christians  are  living.  It 
lies  east  of  Rahuri,  and  south-east  from  Khokar.  Rev.  Mr.  Fairbank  began  his 
residence  here  in  1857.  At  that  time  there  was  one  church  in  the  field  to 
which  this  is  a  center,  at  a  village  about  four  miles  from  the  station.  Now 
there  are  five  churches,  four  under  the  care  of  catechists,  and  one  with  a 
licensed  preacher  acting  as  pastor.  The  aggregate  membership  in  1861  was 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two.     There  are  also  twelve  out-stations. 

There  are  thus  seven  stations  connected  with  the  Ahmednuggur  branch  of 
the  Mahratta  mission.  Three  of  these  have  no  missionary  at  the  present  time. 
They  all  have  their  separate  schools,  churches,  out-stations  and  catechists. 
More  stations  will  probably  be  occupied  as  the  work  makes  progress  in  the 
districts. 

III.  Satara. — This  is  another  important  city,  and  center  for  missionary 
operations  in  the  Mahratta  country.  It  is  in  the  valley  of  the  Krishna  river, 
and  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  south-east  from  Bombay,  and  one  hun- 
dred miles  south-west  from  Ahmednuggur.  The  district  of  Satara  has  a  popu- 
lation of  about  one  million  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  people. 
It  was  under  tlie  rule  of  a  native  prince  and  court  until  1848.  The  family  of 
the  former  king,  who  died  without  heirs,  is  still  there,  and  receives  a  pension 
from  the  government. 

During  the  residence  of  Mr.  Graves  upon  the  Mahablcshwar  Hills,  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  his  life,  he  was  accustomed  to  spend  some  months  of  the  rainy 
season  at  Satara ;  and  always  preached,  as  he  had  strength,  to  people  whom 
he  could  gather  to  listen.     Mrs.  Graves  also  taught  such  girls  as  would  come 


THE   MAHRATTA  MISSION".  21 

to  her  for  instruction.  In  this  way  there  was  a  partial  occupancy  of  the  city 
as  a  mission  station,  some  years  before  any  missionary  went  there  to  hvc. 

In  the  year  1849,  Rev.  W.  Wood  went  to  Satara,  in  order  to  secure  a  health- 
ful location  for  his  family,  during  the  rainy  season.  The  health  of  Mrs.  Wood 
had  suffered  much  while  in  Bombay.  Becoming  much  interested  in  the  place, 
he  decided  on  making  it  his  permanent  station.  Land  was  procured,  and  two 
years  after,  a  house  was  erected,  and  soon  after  a  large  chapel,  in  the  midst  of 
the  native  town  ;  also  a  building  for  a  preaching-place  and  school-house. 

In  1851,  Rev.  Mr.  Burgess  removed  from  Ahmednuggur,  to  be  associated  with 
Mr.  Wood,  who  had  been  aflSicted  by  the  death  of  Mrs.  Wood.  In  1853,  Mr. 
Burgess  returned  to  America ;  and  in  1855,  Rev.  Mr.  Munger  went  to  Satara. 
In  1860,  Mr.  Munger  came  to  the  United  States ;  and  Rev.  Mr.  Dean,  from 
Ahmednuggur,  was  stationed  at  Satara.  The  situation  is  a  good  one  for  health. 
It  is  just  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Ghats  ;  and  a  person  can  be  placed  in  an 
entirely  different  climate  from  that  of  the  plains,  in  a  few  hours'  time,  by  as- 
cending the  hills. 

Several  rivers  pass  through  the  territory  of  Satara,  all  uniting  at  length  in 
the  Krishna  river.  All  along  the  borders  of  these  streams  are  large  villages. 
The  population  is  dense  and  easily  accessible  from  Satara.  It  has  thus  fine 
advantages  as  a  station,  from  which  to  reach  the  country  about.  Several  places, 
with  a  population  of  thousands,  are  spoken  of  as  proper  places  for  new  stations, 
as  the  work  shall  advance. 

There  have  been  but  few  conversions  at  this  station.  There  have  been  some 
peculiar  obstacles,  arising  from  the  recent  absorption  of  the  territory  into  the 
British  districts,  and  the  extinction  of  the  native  dominion.  A  large  number 
of  Brahmans  were  formerly  supported  by  the  king  ;  and  they  were  obliged  to 
seek  their  own  support  when  the  British  authority  was  established.  These 
people  naturally  feel  very  sore  toward  the  English,  and  to  any  thing  that  per- 
tains to  the  English.  They  influence  vast  numbers  of  people  to  reject  and  op- 
pose Christianity.  Yet  there  is  reason  to  suppose  that  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  is  spi'eading.  Many  young  men  have  studied  the  English  language  to 
some  extent,  and  at  times  they  have  been  known  to  visit  the  missionaries  fre- 
quently. Much  good  seed  has  been  sown  in  the  city,  and  the  districts  lying 
about  it. 

A  church  of  eight  members  is  reported  in  1861.  The  pastor  of  the  first 
church  in  Ahmednuggur  has  spent  some  time  preaching  in  Satara,  with  good 
results. 

Malcohn  Peth,  or  MahailesTiwar,  was  the  residence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Graves  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  life.  It  is  thirty  miles  west  of  Satara,  upon  the  summit  of 
the  coast  range  of  mountains.  It  is  a  valuable  health  retreat.  Many  people 
from  the  lowlands  of  the  coast,  and  from  the  sultry  plains  of  the  interior, 
spend  a  few  weeks  of  the  warm  weather  there.  It  has  been  found  very  ben- 
eficial to  many  debilitated  frames ;  and  at  times  a  few  months  spent  in  this 
cool,  dry  climate  have  been  enough  to  reinvigorate  the  toil-worn  frame.  The 
missionary  who  goes  to  this  place  for  a  needed  change  of  air  and  scene,  finds 
a  large  population  gathered  near  him,  during  the  warm  season.  He  can  preach 
to  people  from  all  parts  of  the  interior,  and  thus  cause  the  name  of  Jesus  to 


22  THE   MAIIHATTA    MISSION". 

sound  forth  from  those  mountain-tops  to  places  unvisited  by  any  rays  from  the 
source  of  light  divine. 

Since  Mr.  Graves'  death,  Mrs.  Graves  has  resided  on  these  hills,  and  has 
taught  women  and  girls  as  she  has  had  opportunity  ;  but  no  missionary  has 
made  his  residence  here. 

IV.  Sholapur. — At  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  east  from 
Satara,  and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  east  of  south  from  Ahmednug- 
gur  is  this  important  city.  It  is  the  scat  of  a  CoUectorate,  and  thus  a  prin- 
cipal city  like  Ahmednuggur  and  Satara.  It  is  so  situated  as  to  form  a  con- 
necting link  between  these  two  fields,  now  occupied  by  the  American  mission, 
and  is  connected  by  the  new  Grand  Peninsular  Railway  with  Bombay. 
There  are  also  many  large  villages,  and  a  great  population  in  the  districts  to 
which  it  is  central.     It  is  thus  a  most  important  field  for  missionary  effort. 

Sholapur  has  often  been  visited  by  missionaries  upon  preaching  tours.  In 
some  towns  near  the  city  some  interest  in  Christianity  has  been  awakened  by 
these  tours.  No  missionary,  however,  has  resided  permanently  in  the  district. 
Rev.  Mr.  Harding,  from  Bombay,  has  spent  several  months  there  during  each 
of  the  past  two  years.  It  is  hoped  that  the  place  may  be  permanently  occu- 
pied before  very  long.  There  is  much  promise  of  good  to  result  from  the 
preaching  of  the  word.  Beside  the  persons  who  have  professed  an  interest  in 
Christianity  in  some  of  the  villages,  there  is  a  class  of  people  in  the  city,  who 
have  had  their  attention  drawn  to  the  subject,  in  consequence  of  conversions 
which  have  taken  place  in  districts  still  farther  south.  There  are  missionaries 
from  Germany  laboring  in  what  is  known  as  the  southern  Mahratta  country. 
At  one  of  their  stations  a  number  of  persons  belonging  to  a  class  of  Wanis, 
who  are  traders,  have  professed  Christianity.  These  men  have  their  friends 
and  acquaintances  through  all  that  region.  Many  of  the  same  class  of  Wtmis 
reside  in  Sholapur.  They  have  expressed  a  wish  to  know  about  this  faith, 
which  their  caste  brethren  liave  adopted.  These  Wanis  are  not  proper  Hindus, 
but  Jains  in  faith,  acknowledging  some  of  the  gods  of  the  Hindus,  and  hold- 
ing the  tenets  of  the  Buddhists  to  an  extent. 

Thirty  miles  west  of  Sholapur,  on  the  road  leading  to  Satara,  is  situated  the 
city  of  Pandharapur.  This  is  the  seat  of  the  celebrated  ]\Iahratta  deity  Vit- 
hola.  The  city  has  quite  a  large  population  ;  but  its  special  importance  arises 
from  this  temple.  There  are  pilgrimages  to  this  shrine  from  all  parts  of  the 
Mahratta  territory.  Twice  in  the  year  many  thousands  gather  here  to  worship, 
and  there  are  smaller  local  festivals  every  month.  During  the  few  days  of  the 
festival,  the  pilgrims  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  in  listening  to  the  recital  of 
poems  and  stories  of  the  god  they  have  come  to  worship,  and  of  other  gods. 
On  these  occasions,  a  great  latitude  is  given  to  discussion.  Men  of  the  most 
opposite  opinions  of  faith  and  practice  may  hold  forth  and  substantiate  their 
doctrines,  and  be  pretty  sure  of  having  many  people  to  listen.  These  are 
gathered  together  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  or  on  the  dry  sands  in  the  bed  of 
the  stream  ;  and  live  there  in  tent.s,  and  booths,  and  carts,  and  under  the  shade 
of  trees,  always  ready  to  hear  "  some  new  thing."  These  great  festival-days 
afford  good  opportunities  for  preachers  of  the  word.  With  a  large  preach- 
ing-tent, pitched  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd,  a  missionary,  with  proper  assist- 


THE   MAIIRATl^N.   MISSION.  23 

ants,  could  bo  almost  constantly  occupied  with  preaching.  Many  of  his  hear- 
ers would  be  men  from  distant  parts  of  the  countr^^  where  the  Gospel  has  not 
yet  reached;  and  thus  he  would  be  scattering  the  seel  of  truth  in  many  parts 
of  the  land  where  he  might  never  go  himself 

Stations  not  now  occupied.  Jalna,  a  city  in  the  dominions  of  the  Nizam  of 
Hyderabad,  seventy  miles  north-east  from  Ahmednuggur,  was  first  selected  as 
the  extended  outpost  of  the  mission  in  that  direction.  Early  in  1837,  Rev. 
Mr.  Munger  commenced  operations  here,  with  the  permission  of  the  Nizam, 
though  he  was  a  Mohammedan  prince,  lie  was  joined  soon  by  Rev.  Mr.  Stone, 
who  remained  about  a  year  ;  Mr.  Munger  continued  his  labors  for  about  five 
years,  when  he  was  obliged  to  visit  this  country.  The  station  has  never  been 
reoccupied  by  the  American  mission.  The  place  has  not  the  same  relative  im- 
portance that  it  had  when  the  mission  commenced  operations  there. 

Kol  ipui\  seventy  miles  south  of  Satara,  was  occupied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Wilder, 
in  1852  ;  and  continued  to  be  so  occupied  till  Mr.  Wilder "s  return  to  America, 
in  1857.  Two  persons  were  baptized  during  this  time,  and  several  others  man- 
ifested much  interest  in  the  truths  of  Christianity.  Kolapur  being  under  a 
native  prince,  and  only  a  protected  portion  of  the  British  Empire,  it  is  uncer- 
tain whether  converts  would  be  allowed  to  profess  their  faith.  The  police,  and 
all  other  internal  arrangements,  are  under  the  control  of  the  natives,  and  the 
influence  of  the  Brahmans  is  very  powerful.  Though  the  place  is  important 
in  respect  to  the  number  of  inhabitants,  and  its  healthful  locality,  yet  in  the 
present  paucity  of  missionaries,  there  are  several  other  places  that  are  of  more 
consequence  relatively  to  the  operations  of  the  A.B.C.F.M.  Hence  the  station 
was  discontinued  after  the  departure  of  Mr.  Wilder, 

The  Field. 
The  field  of  the  Mahratta  mission  is,  then,  Bombay,  the  center,  as  the  most 
important  city ;  Ahmednuggur,  Satara,  and  Sholapur  independent  centers  in 
the  interior  ;  and  about  Ahmednuggur  as  a  center,  six  village  stations.  As  the 
work  shall  progress,  other  stations  in  the  villages  will  need  lo  be  occupied,  and 
about  the  other  centers  similar  stations  will  be  commenced.  Several  millions 
of  people  are  living  in  the  districts  now  partially  occupied,  and  proposed  to  be 
occupied.  It  will  be  necessary,  perhaps,  at  some  future  day  to  occupy  still 
other  centers. 

Plan  of  Operations. 

The  general  plan  of  the  mission  may  be  suflBciently  evident  from  the  descrip- 
tion given  of  the  several  stations. 

Each  missionary  is  supposed  to  have  his  own  definite  sphere  of  labor,  and 
this  is  to  consist  of  preaching,  superintending  schools,  teaching  and  directing 
his  native  assistants,  taking  the  oversight  of  churches  as  they  are  gathered  in 
his  field,  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  "  regions  beyond,"  b}^  means  of  preaching 
tours  where  he  can  do  so.  The  general  wants  of  the  mission  necessitate  schools 
of  a  higher  order,  in  which  men  may  be  trained  for  the  duties  of  catechists, 
and  of  teachers  of  common  schools ;  also  a  training  for  the  pastoral  work. 
And  at  the  same  time  the  women  are  to  be  so  taught  that  they  may  be  meet 
helps  to  their  husbands  when  engaged  in  the  direct  work  of  the  ministry,  as 
teachers,  catechists,  and  pastors. 


24  THE  MAHRATTA  MISSION. 

The  grand  aim  is  to  secure  a  self-sustaining  church  in  the  land,  a  church  that 
shall  raise  up  for  itself  and  train  in  itself  in  due  time,  its  own  pastors  and 
teachers ;  a  church  which  shall  ever  aim  at  the  conversion  of  the  heathen, 
which  shall  bring  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  oflfers  of  salvation  to  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land,  and  which  shall  show  forth  the  power  of  Christianity 
by  a  godly  walk  and  holy  living  upon  earth.  In  aiming  at  such  an  object  we 
aim  at  the  glory  of  Christ,  to  be  displayed  by  conversions  to  Him  from  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land.  We  aim  at  securing  proper  "  witnesses"  for  Christ, 
who  shall  make  him  manifest  among  men. 

Conversions  have  not  been  numerous  in  the  early  history  of  any  of  the  sta- 
tions. For  a  long  time  the  progress  has  usually  been  very  slow.  The  earlier 
audiences  at  the  stations  have  usually  been  composed  of  persons  connected 
with  the  missionary  in  some  way.  The  children  of  the  schools,  and  the  teach- 
ers, in  some  cases  a  few  of  the  parents  would  be  present.  If  others  came,  it 
was  usually  from  curiosity,  and  when  the  truths  of  Christianity  were  an- 
nounced, there  was  often  no  further  wish  to  hear.  Parents  who  sometimes 
came  with  their  children,  came  not  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  the  truth,  but  to 
know  what  was  said  to  their  children,  that  they  might  more  surely  counteract 
its  influence.  In  villages  which  have  been  several  times  visited  by  mission- 
aries on  their  preaching  tours,  it  has  been  found  that  large  assemblies  would 
gather  on  the  occasion  of  the  first  visit,  and  sometimes  also  the  second.  The 
third  time  few  would  stop  to  hear.  Their  curiosity  was  satisfied.  The  story 
of  the  cross  had  become  foolishness ;  and  in  succeeding  visits  the  Christian 
messenger  would  be  met  by  open  opposition,  scoffing  and  abuse.  Still  some 
would  hear;  an  interest  would  be  manifest,  and  good  would  be  hoped  for  "in 
due  time"  if  there  were  no  fainting. 

"When  a  conversion  has  taken  place,  under  the  influence  of  the  truth,  whether 
through  more  intimate  association  with  the  missionary  and  the  consequent 
increased  knowledge  of  Christian  truth,  or  under  the  inward  impulse,  the 
desire  for  something  better,  which  is  gratified  only  by  faith  in  Christ,  a  new 
element  of  power  comes  into  operation.  Men  see  that  it  is  possible  for  a 
Hindu  to  change  his  faith,  and  substitute  the  service  and  worship  of  a  spiritual 
Being  in  place  of  the  idols  which  everywhere  abound.  Christianity  comes  with 
a  new  appeal.  Before  the  conversion  of  a  native  Hindu  it  is  regarded  as  essen- 
tially a  foreign  faith  with  which  they  can  have  no  concern.  But  if  one  of  their 
own  countrymen  has  embraced  this  faith  and  is  living  in  accordance  with  it, 
there  must  be  something  to  be  considered  in  it.  There  is  the  appeal  to  fomily 
influences.  To  a  very  great  extent  tliis  is  an  appeal  of  opposition  to  Christian- 
ity, and  all  fiimily  influences  are  brought  to  oppose  any  one  who  changes  his 
faith.  But  there  are  always  persons  more  or  less  numerous  who  are  influenced 
by  the  fact  that  one  of  tlieir  relatives  or  friends  has  become  a  Christian.  Under 
the  influence  of  godly  living  we  thus  expect  to  see  our  little  churches  growing 
in  numbers,  increasing  in  the  regions  where  they  are  now  situated,  and  extend- 
ing the  influence  of  the  Gospel  till  all  are  reached  by  it. 

Scliools. 

It  is  supposed  that  not  more  than  five  or  six  per  cent  of  the  population  can 
read.     The  proportion  is  higher  in  the  cities,  particularly  in  Bombay,  and  less 


THE  MAHRATTA   MISSION".  2o 

in  some  country  districts.  It  is  not  strange  then  that  the  first  missionaries 
should  have  their  attention  turned  at  once  to  the  necessity  for  schools.  The 
people  to  whom  they  attempted  to  preach  had  no  mind  to  hear.  It  was  thought 
they  could  hardly  understand  what  would  be  said  to  them  in  a  discourse. 
Certainly  there  could  be  no  progress  of  the  Gospel  till  the  people  could  read 
the  Bible  understandingly.  If  the  children  could  be  taken  in  hand  they  could 
be  trained  so  as  to  understand  the  truths  of  religion.  Their  minds  were  ten- 
der, susceptible  to  good  influences.  They  would  form  a  nucleus  of  a  congre- 
gation to  be  preached  to.  The  parents  and  others  would  be  drawn  in  to  hear, 
and  in  time  every  school  might  be  expected  to  expand  into  a  church.  The 
people  would  be  drawn  toward  Christianity  because  of  the  great  benefits  result- 
ing from  it  to  their  children  and  themselves.  The  appreciation  of  the  benefits 
of  education  would  lead  men  to  desire  the  higher  good  the  knowledge  of  which 
was  given  at  the  same  time. 

"Even  before  the  first  missionaries  in  Bombay  were  able  to  commence 
preaching  they  had  opened  a  school.  In  1816  it  was  stated  that  'nearly  300 
heathen  boys  had  been  receiving  instruction  under  their  care.'  In  1818  there 
were  eleven  schools,  with  GOO  regular  attendants.  In  1821  they  had  twenty- 
five  schools,  and  from  want  of  funds  they  disbanded  ten  of  these  containing  500 
pupils.  In  1823,  again,  there  were  twenty-six  schools  with  1454  pupils.  For 
a  few  years  great  exertions  seem  to  have  been  made  in  this  department.  In 
1824  there  were  thirty -nine  schools.  In  this  year  a  girls'  school  was  opened 
under  the  care  of  a  female.  The  number  of  schools  at  this  time  was  nearly  as 
large  as  at  any  subsequent  period.  In  1827  there  were  sixteen  schools  for 
boys  and  ten  for  girls.  In  1831  there  wei-e  thirty- four  schools,  containing 
1940  pupils,  of  whom  455  were  girls.  In  1835  there  were  forty  schools  and 
1620  scholars.  About  this  time  the  system  began  to  be  extended  in  Ahmed- 
nuggur  and  vicinity In  1839,  [after  the  '  crisis'  of  1837,  and  the  dis- 
missal of  so  many  schools,]  there  were  reported  eight  schools  in  Bombay,  four 
in  Ahmednuggur,  four  at  Jalna,  one  at  Mahableswar — seventeen  in  all,  con- 
taining 822  scholars." 

The  same  system  was  pursued  up  to  the  year  1851,  at  the  opening  of  any 
new  station.  At  Seroor,  in  1841,  the  first  missionary  effort  was  in  the  direc- 
tion of  schools.  At  one  time  ten  were  in  operation  in  different  villages.  At 
Satara,  in  1850,  there  were  two  schools  for  boys  and  two  for  girls.  At  Kola- 
pur  there  were  several.  They  seemed  to  be  almost  a  necessity  of  the  mission 
in  all  its  attempts  at  advancement. 

The  teachers  of  these  schools  were,  of  necessity,  natives.  The  Brahman,  as 
a  usual  thing,  was  the  teacher  of  every  school  for  Hindus,  of  whatever  caste. 
A  Jew  would  teach  a  school  of  Jewish  children ;  a  Parsi,  for  Parsis.  There 
were  no  Christians  to  be  had.  If  there  had  been,  no  pupils  save  the  children 
of  Christian  parents  would  have  attended.  The  Brahmans  were  very  ready  to 
enter  the  service  of  a  missionary  and  teach  schools  for  him.  They  would  teach 
the  prescribed  Christian  lessons,  and  at  the  same  time  take  good  care  that  no 
undue  influence  was  exerted  by  these  truths  upon  the  minds  of  the  children. 
The  missionaries  thought  that  great  good  would  be  done  by  the  instruction  of 
the  children  in  the  common  studies  of  the  school ;  and  at  the  same  time  they 
would  have  the  opportunity  of  inculcating  rehgious  truth.     The  Brahman  was 


2fi  THE   MAHPvATTA   MISSION. 

hired  to  teach  reading  and  the  common  branches.  He  was  not  to  have  any 
thins^  to  do  with  Christianity,  farther  than  to  sec  that  the  scholars  learned  the 
prescribed  lessons  in  Scripture,  in  catccliisnis,  and  the  like.  The  missionary 
alone  would  give  the  instruction  in  Chiistianity,  and  examine  the  scholars  in 
what  they  learned.  In  point  of  fact  it  was  found  that  the  influence  of  the 
heathen  teacher  almost  entirely  neutralized  the  preaching  of  the  missionary, 
and  the  study  of  the  truths  of  Christianity  which  the  pupil  attempted. 

In  a  report  on  this  subject,  in  1854,  the  missionaries  sa}' :  "We  can  not  point 
to  a  single  case  of  conversion  from  among  all  this  number,  [estimated  at  10,000 
as  having  been  pupils  in  these  common  schools.]  A  few  instances  of  conver- 
sion have  occurred  among  the  superintendents  and  teachers  of  these  schools ; 
and  these  men  are  among  our  most  valuable  helpers  at  the  present  time.  We 
occasionally  meet  wuth  those  who  were  formerly  pupils  in  these  schools,  while 
preaching  in  the  villages.  Often  such  persons  are  interested  and  attentive 
hearers,  and  often  they  are  among  the  abusei-s  of  us  and  our  work.  The  result 
seems  to  show  that  these  schools  have  failed  of  accompli.shing,  except  to  a  very 
slight  extent,  what  was  hoped  from  their  establishment,  in  the  way  of  influ- 
encing the  people,  and  gaining  them  over  to  the  truth."  And  from  this  result 
they  derive  the  general  rule  that  it  is  inexpedient  to  employ  heathen  teachers 
in  the  work  of  teaching  children  and  youth. 

In  India  the  work  of  education  was  pushed  in  advance  of  the  church,  as  a 
preparatory  agency,  not  as  an  auxiliary.  The  results  have  been  described 
above.  It  is  now  proposed  that  education  by  missionary  effort  shall  take  its 
proper  place,  to  follow,  rather  than  precede,  interest  in  the  truth. 

Boardingscliools.  It  was  early  discovered  that  the  common-school  system 
would  not  produce  the  results  hoped.  It  was  supposed  that  if  children  could 
be  kept  in  school,  separated  from  their  parents  to  an  extent,  brought  more 
under  the  direct  influence  of  Christian  teaching,  and  of  the  truth,  the  results 
would  be  more  satisfactory.  Especially  would  this  be  the  case  in  reference  to 
girls.  The  girls'  school  at  Bombay  was  ii  good  example  of  the  kind.  Some  ot 
the  pupils  were  orphans,  and  placed  under  the  entire  control  of  the  mission. 
A  few  were  Africans  re  captured  from  slave-ships  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa. 
All  who  were  in  the  school  were  as  completely  under  the  care  of  the  mission- 
ary as  they  could  be.  The  result  is  seen  in  the  fiict  that  seventeen  pupils  from 
this  school  were  admitted  to  the  church.  The  school  at  Ahmednuggur  had 
more  pupils  from  the  city.  But  here  also  many  were  converted.  A  boarding- 
school  for  boys  and  another  f  )r  girls  was  in  existence  at  Seroor  for  a  number 
of  years.  Some  young  men  who  were  once  connected  with  the  boys'  school  are 
now  in  important  positions  under  the  government.  One,  who  began  to  learn 
here,  and  who  was  in  the  school  for  sortie  years,  has  recently  joined  the  second 
church  at  Alnnednuggur.  During  years  of  wandering  he  did  not  wholly  forget 
his  instruction  in  the  school,  and  constantly  refused  to  wor.ship  the  idols  of 
his  countrymen. 

There  was  a  boys'  boarding-school  at  Ahmednuggur,  established  in  the  early 
years  of  the  mission.  It  expanded  into  a  seminarj^,  and  had  at  one  time  as 
many  as  sixty  pupils.  A  few  pupils  were  converted.  This  high  school  grew 
out  of  the  cnmmon-school  system.  It  was  of  great  use  in  training  teacliers 
and  superintendents  of  the  common-schools,  but  could  be  of  only  limited  use 


THE    MAIIRATTA   MISSION".  27 

in  training  catechists.  It  was  in  advance  of  the  church,  and  of  any  interest  in 
the  truth,  whether  among  the  people  or  among  the  scholars.  Consequently 
upon  the  remodeling  of  the  system,  in  1851-54,  it  gave  place  to  a  school  for 
catechists  and  teachers. 

These  schools  were  all  subject  to  great  fluctuations.  The  teachers,  though 
heathen,  were  required  to  be  present  at  prenching  upon  the  Sabbath.  In  1828, 
the  mission  at  Bombay  made  a  rule  that  all  persons  connected  with  the  mis- 
sion, as  teachers,  scholars,  etc.,  when  attending  divine  service,  should  stand 
during  prayer.  This  rule  raised  a  storm  of  excitement.  For  a  time  nearly  all 
the  schools  were  disbanded.  Only  one  of  the  teachers  was  bold  enough  to  com- 
ply with  the  rule.  Meeting  after  meeting  of  caste-men  was  held,  in  order  to  put 
Babaji  out  of  caste,  but  he  defended  his  course  so  boldly  that  it  was  not  done. 
The  proceedings,  were,  however,  among  the  means  of  deepening  in  his  mind  the 
impressions  of  the  truth  he  had  heard  and  learned,  and  he  afterwards  united 
with  the  church.  The  storm  raised  was  not  of  long  continuance.  Most  of  the 
teachers  very  soon  resumed  their  employment,  and  complied  with  the  rule. 

In  1839,  one  of  the  superintendents  of  schools  in  Ahmednuggur  was  con- 
verted. The  effect  of  this  was  to  cause  the  schools  to  be  forsaken  to  a  very 
great  extent.  Some  of  the  most  hopeful  were  wholly  given  up.  A  similar 
result  followed  the  baptism  of  a  teacher  at  Seroor,  in  1844.  On  the  baptism 
of  one  of  the  pupils  of  the  seminary  at  Ahmednuggur,  in  1840,  many  of  the 
scholars  left.  So  when  one  of  the  girls  from  the  girls'  boarding-school  was 
received  to  the  church,  a  number  left.  On  one  occasion  a  mother  was  so  en- 
raged at  her  daughter,  because  she  wished  to  join  the  church,  that  she  brought 
her  poison,  concealed  in  a  dish  of  sweetmeats.  The  girl  was  taken  violently 
ill.  She  did  not  die,  but  was  made  totally  blind  from  the  eflfects  of  the 
poison. 

The  present  system  of  schools  may  be  described  in  few  words.  In  the  com- 
mon-schools, none  but  Christian  teachers  are  employed.  Hence  the  classes 
from  which  pupils  come  are  Christians,  and  those  who  sympathize  with  Christ- 
ians so  much  that  they  are  willing  their  children  should  be  taught  by  a  Christ- 
ian teacher.  The  design  of  these  schools  is  to  teach  the  children  of  Christian 
parents,  and  at  the  same  time  Christian  men  and  women  who  may  be  disposed 
to  learn.  The  number  of  such  schools  is  much  less  than  that  of  the  heathen 
schools,  which  were  at  one  time  in  connection  with  the  mission.  Yet  the  de- 
mand for  schools,  even  on  the  basis  of  Christian  families,  is  greater  than  can  be 
supplied  by  the  teachers  who  are  at  present  qualified  to  engage  in  the  work. 
There  were  in  1861  about  twenty-five  such  schools.  Christians  are  living  in 
nearly  one  hundred  different  towns  and  villages.  The  limit  at  present  is  very 
far  short  of  what  it  should  be.  The  effort  is  made  in  all  cases  for  the  parents 
of  the  children  to  do  what  they  can  toward  defraying  the  expense  of  the  schools. 
There  are  perhaps  as  many  schools  as  can  be  kept  up  with  the  present  limited 
funds  which  can  be  used  for  the  purpose,  and  perhaps  as  many  as  can  be  eflS- 
ciently  superintended  by  the  missionaries  who  are  now  on  the  ground. 

The  want  of  teachers,  and  the  necessity  of  training  them  for  the  work,  and  the 
general  service  of  the  mission,  has  led  to  a  training-school.  This  is  at  present 
situated  at  Ahmednuggur.  Its  pupils  are  taken  from  the  most  promising  boys 
of  the  common  village-schools,  and  also  from  young  men  of  promise  who  have 


28  THE  MAHRATTA  MISSION. 

not  been  instructed  as  children.  Many  of  the  teachers  and  students  at  the  pre- 
sent time  are  children  of  Christian  parents.  The  course  of  study  is  practical, 
and  as  far  as  may  be,  biblical.  Men  of  more  years  also  attend  this  school,  in 
order  to  be  qualified  for  service  of  the  mission,  as  catechists.  Their  instruction 
is  more  exclusively  biblical,  and  they  are  connected  with  the  school  a  shorter 
time.  It  is  expected  of  all  the  teachers  of  common-schools  that  they  shall  take 
the  place  of  a  catechist,  in  public  reading  and  expounding  of  the  Scriptures 
when  there  is  no  other  qualified  person  residing  at  the  village  where  they 
teach.  In  this  way  they  gather  the  parents  with  the  children  to  hear  the  word 
read  at  the  opening  of  the  school,  and  they  sometimes  have  a  service  on  the 
Sabbath,  in  places  at  a  distance  from  any  regular  preaching  service.  The  num- 
ber of  catechists,  some  of  whom  are  teachers,  in  connection  with  the  mission  is 
about  sixty. 

The  native  churches  need  pastors.  For  the  twenty -two  churches  there  are  as 
yet  but  four  ordained  pastors.  To  remedy  this  deficiency,  a  training-school  for 
pastors  has  been  in  operation  for  two  or  three  years.  About  twelve  of  the  most 
active  and  influential  of  the  younger  men  were  selected  by  the  mission,  in  the 
first  place,  to  compose  this  class.  They  are  taken  from  all  parts  of  the  field, 
and  properly  belong  in  connection  with  different  stations.  These  men  are 
trained  specially  in  the  Bible,  pursuing  the  study  of  different  portions  of  it  dur- 
ing the  time  they  are  in  the  class,  and  at  the  same  time  studying  such  other 
things  as  will  not  only  aid  them  in  their  pastoral  duties,  but  will  enable  them 
in  some  degree  to  oversee  the  schools  in  their  various  fields.  A  course  of  lec- 
tures is  delivered  on  important  topics.  They  write  essays  and  prepare  plans 
of  discourses.  The  class  term  is  seven  months — April  to  November,  During  the 
remaining  five  months,  these  young  men  are  employed,  under  the  direction  of 
the  various  missionaries,  in  preaching  in  different  parts  of  the  field;  and  while 
they  are  pursuing  their  studies  at  Ahniednuggur,  it  is  expected  that  they  will 
preach  as  often  as  every  other  Sabbath.  They  go  forth  two  and  two,  or  one 
with  a  missionary  or  pastor,  to  villages  in  all  the  region,  and  thus  endeavor  to 
make  known  the  way  of  life.  These  men  are  taken  from  the  common  people, 
and  the  hope  is  that  the  churches,  poor  as  they  are  in  worldly  goods,  may  be 
able  at  no  distant  day  to  support  their  pastors — men  from  the  same  general  po- 
sition and  rank  in  life,  educated  for  their  work,  and,  we  trust,  called  of  the  Spirit 
to  engage  in  it.  With  men  of  genuine  Christian  experience  and  warm-hearted 
devotion  to  the  Saviour  living  in  the  villages,  as  pastors  of  the  little  churches,  it 
may  be  confidently  expected  that  the  work  of  making  known  the  Gospel,  and, 
through  the  Spirit  promised  by  our  Saviour,  of  multiplying  converts  to  Christ, 
will  r.ipidly  advance. 

The  girls'  boarding-school  at  Ahniednuggur  has  been  changed  into  a  female 
school  of  higher  order  than  the  coumion-schools,  the  design  of  which  is,  that 
those  who  are  to  be  wives  of  pastors,  and  catechists  and  teachers,  may  recuive 
an  education  appropriate  to  them.  A  few  3'oung  females  from  this  school  have 
been  employed  as  teachers  in  some  villages. 

This  plan  of  schools  admits  of  any  desirable  extension,  as  circumstances  may 
require.  No  missionary  is  taken  away  from  his  proper  work  of  preaching  the 
Gospel,  to  teach  science,  and  exert  the  general  elevating  influence  of  the  college 
professor.    Each  man  may  have  as  many  village-schools  to  look  after  as  he  can 


THE   MAIIRATTA  MISSION.  29 

find  teachers  and  funds  for.  Each  man  has  a  share  in  the  practical  training  of 
the  young  men  who  arc  afterward  to  be  his  assistants,  whether  as  catechists  or 
pastors.  The  men  whose  business  it  is  more  particularly  to  teach  these  candi- 
dates for  teachers,  catechists,  and  pastors  have  still  time  and  strength  to  make 
their  principal  work,  the  direct  preaching  of  the  word.  Thus  they  teach  by  ex- 
ample as  well  as  by  formal  lectures.  The  same  system  of  schools  can  be  easily 
established  in  any  new  station.  So  far  as  there  is  a  demand  for  them  such 
schools  may  be  opened.  The  whole  system  is  kept  in  its  proper  place,  the  aux- 
iliary of  the  Church.  The  conversion  of  men  is  the  grand  object.  The  training 
of  these  men  in  all  that  pertains  to  godliness,  and  of  the  children  of  the  Church 
in  all  that  will  fit  them  for  their  greatest  usefulness  in  the  Church,  and  upon 
the  heathen  world  around  them,  is.  the  object  of  the  system  of  schools. 

In  the  report  of  the  mission  for  1861  the  statement  is  made  that  the  education 
in  the  mission  "was  never  so  effective  in  a  missionary  point  of  view,  never  so 
valuable  as  at  the  present  moment.  What  the  schools  now  most  need  is  better 
teachers,  and  to  derive  more  of  their  support  from  the  parents  of  the  pupils." 

The  Press. 
This  instrument  has  been  largely  used  by  the  mission  in  Western  India. 
The  first  reinforcement  which  was  sent  to  the  mission  was  of  a  man  ac- 
quainted with  the  art  of  printing.  The  press  commenced  its  work  in  1817. 
For  nearly  thirty  years  a  succession  of  missionary  printers  were  in  charge  of 
this  department,  and  it  was  kept  in  a  state  of  high  eflficiency.  For  about  thir- 
teen years,  after  the  departure  to  America  of  the  last  missionary  printer,  the 
printing  was  under  the  superintendence  of  a  man,  an  East-Indian  by  race, 
trained  in  the  office.  In  consequence  of  other  printing  establishments,  capable 
of  doing  all  the  woik  needed  by  the  mission,  being  in  successful  operation  in 
Bombay,  the  press  department  was  closed  and  the  property  sold  in  1858. 

There  have  been  issued  about  seventy  religious  tracts  in  the  Mahratta  lan- 
guage, about  twenty  school-books,  a  number  of  tracts  and  books  in  the  Guzarati 
language,  some  in  the  Hindustani,  and  some  in  English  and  Portuguese.  The 
whole  Bible  has  been  printed  in  three  editions,  and  separate  portions  many 
times  over. 

The  translation  of  the  Bible  has  been  a  part  of  the  labor  of  the  niission.  Be. 
fore  the  first  missionaries  reached  India,  the  missionaries  at  Serampur  had  issued 
a  translation  of  the  Bible  in  the  Mahratta  language.  The  Americans  at  first  at- 
tempted to  use  this,  but  they  found  that  very  few  could  understand  the  trans- 
lation. The  character  used  in  printing  the  version  was  also  very  diflferent  from 
the  ordinary  letters  of  the  Mahrattas.  They  found,  as  they  became  acquainted 
with  the  language,  that  the  version  was  in  a  dialect  which  very  few  people  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bombay  used.  It  was  a  dialect  used  only  in  the  extreme  north-east- 
ern part  of  the  Mahratta  country.  The  brethren  felt  themselves  compelled  to 
engage  in  the  work  of  translating  the  Bible  anew,  from  the  Hebrew  and  Greek 
languages,  into  the  Mahratta.  They  labored  upon  this  work  with  great  faithful- 
ness until  it  was  completed.  Rev.  Allen  Graves  did  more  of  the  translation 
work  than  any  other  one  individual.  The  New  Testament  was  first  printed  en- 
tire in  1823  ;  another  edition  in  1826.  This  was  completely  revised,  with  many 
emendations,  by  Mr.  Graves,  and  a  new  edition,  under  his  editing,  was  issued 
in  1830.     This  has  been  amended  much  since,  and  several  editions  have  been 


30  THE   MAIIBATTA   illSSIOX. 

issued,  mostly  by  the  Bombay  Bible  Society.  In  the  Old  Testament  also  the 
hand  of  Mr.  Graves  is  seen  in  the  books  of  Moses,  Joshua,  and  the  Judges  and 
Kinj;s.  Rev.  Mr.  Allen  translated  the  books  of  Samuel.  The  poetical  and 
prophetical  books,  as  at  present  issued,  are  on  the  basis  of  the  translation  fur- 
nished by  Rev.  Mr.  Dixon,  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  Mr.  Graves  pre- 
pared a  translation  of  the  Psalms,  of  which  tveo  or  three  editions  were  published. 
In  1842  a  semi-monthly  paper  was  started  by  the  mission,  and  has  been  con- 
tinued to  the  present.  It  has  been  somewhat  widely  circulated,  and  has  been 
an  instrument  of  much  good  among  the  people.  Some  of  the  books  which  have 
been  put  in  circulation  were  first  issued  in  the  successive  numbers  of  this  paper. 
A  small  part  of  each  issue  has  usually  been  in  English  as  well  as  Mahrathi.  For 
a  number  of  years  also  an  almanac  was  issued  by  the  Mission,  which  was  largely 
circulated. 

nights  of  Native  Christians. 

Reference  has  been  made  (p.  10)  to  the  indignity  put  by  the  Hindus  upon 
any  who  embrace  Christianity.  It  is  proper  here  to  refer  to  the  efforts  made 
to  secure  the  rights  of  Christians. 

The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  the  mission  for  1859,  gives  the  facts 
in  regard  to  the  "water  excitement,"  and  the  decision  of  Government  recogniz- 
ing the  rights  of  Christians  to  the  use  of  the  public  wells  : 

"  The  mission,  having  for  many  years  past  rented  a  house  in  Ahmcdnuggur, 
with  a  reservoir  of  good  water  on  the  premises,  the  native  Christians,  who  gene- 
rally lived  near  the  missionaries,  had  made  use  of  this  water.  But  recently 
houses  had  been  occupied  by  native  Christians  in  different  parts  of  the  city, 
and  it  became  very  inconvenient  for  them  to  obtain  all  their  water  from  the 
mission  compound.  Knowing  that  the  laws  of  India  secured  to  native  converts 
all  the  rights  which  they  enjoyed  before  conversion,  we  took  occasion,  when 
the  Governor  was  at  Ahmednuggur,  to  mention  to  his  Secretaries,  and  also  to 
the  Collector,  what  the  converts  desired  in  respect  to  the  use  of  the  water  of 
the  public  tanks.  The  Collector  at  once  declared  himself  ready  to  sustain  the 
right  of  all  converts  to  use  the  public  tanks,  who  had  enjoyed  the  right  before 
conversion,  as  this  was  in  accordance  with  the  law.  In  the  month  of  Septem- 
ber the  native  converts  accordingly  began  to  take  water  from  the  public  reser- 
voirs, having  previously  informed  the  native  authorities  of  the  town  of  their  in 
tention,  and  having  been  told  by  them  that  arrangements  would  be  made  to 
protect  them  in  their  rights.  The  Brahmans  immediately  made  the  most  deter- 
mined resistance.  They  threatened  to  beat  any  Christian  who  should  touch 
the  reservoirs.  They  prohibited  the  Hindus  using  water  from  the  tanks,  which 
they  said  had  been  defiled  by  being  used  by  Christians  ;  and  they  made  a 
petition  to  the  magistrate,  urging  him  to  prevent  the  native  converts  from  using 
the  public  tanks.  The  magistrate,  Mr.  Tytlei-,  called  the  principal  inhabitants 
of  the  city  together  a  few  days  after,  and  read  to  them  his  reply  to  their  peti- 
tion. He  informed  them  that  those  who  had  the  right  to  draw  water  from  the 
tanks  before  conversion,  had  not  forfeited  that  right  by  embracing  Christianity ; 
that  on  the  contrary,  the  law  insures  them  every  right  w'hich  they  possessed 
before  their  conversion,  and  that  this  law  would  be  enforced,  and  those  acting 
contrary  thereto  punished.     Tlie  magistrate  added,  that  in  Bombay  and  many 


THE   MAIIIIATTA   MISSION".  31 

other  places,  all  classes  of  the  coinmunitj-,  Christian  converts,  Hindoos  and 
Mohammedans,  have  free  access  to  all  the  public  tanks  and  wells  ;  and  that  in 
•AhmeJnuggur,  while  cnttlc,  horses,  donkeys,  prostitutes,  etc.,  all  have  access 
to  the  public  tanks,  this  common  and  obvious  right  the  petitioners  sought  to 
deny  to  persons  whose  high  respectability  they  themselves  dared  not  and  could 
not  gainsay  ;  and  they  denied  them  this  right  solely  because  they  were  Christ- 
ians. This  decision  of  the  magistrate  was  confirmed  by  the  Governor  before  it 
was  communicated  to  the  petitioners.  But  the  Brahmans,  hoping  to  intimidate 
the  government,  prevailed  on  the  shopkeepers  to  shut  all  their  shops,  and  no 
one  was  allowed  to  buy  or  sell  even  the  most  necessary  articles  in  the  bazar, 
though  much  trading  continued  to  be  carried  on  under  cover.  The  people  were 
told  that  any  one  who  opened  his  shop  would  be  considered  as  the  offspring  of 
a  Christian.  But  finding  that  the  government  were  firm,  the  shopkeepers, 
after  three  or  four  days,  refused  to  obey  the  arbitrary  orders  of  the  Brahmans 
any  longer,  and  opened  their  shops  again. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  the  people  of  Ahmednuggur,  or  rather  a  small  portion  of 
the  Brahman  population,  had  petitioned  the  Governor  of  Bombay,  complaining  of 
the  Collector,  and  urging  that  he  might  be  directed  to  prevent  the  native  con- 
verts from  using  the  water.  The  answer  of  the  Governor  was  very  decided. 
It  was  as  follows :  '  Copy  of  a  resolution  passed  by  government,  in  the  Judicial 
Department,  on  the  petition  of  Anandrao  Babajee  Deshpanday  and  other  in- 
habitants of  Ahmednuggur.  The  magistrate  may  be  instructed  to  inform 
Anandrao  Deshpanday,  that  government  will  not  for  a  moment  entertain  .so 
absurd  and  so  insulting  an  application  as  that  contained  in  the  petition  signed 
by  himself  and  a  few  other  misguided  persons  at  Ahmednuggur.  The  peti- 
tioners should  be  reminded,  that  by  their  own  showing,  the  fountains  in  ques- 
tion were  established  by  Mohammedan  kings,  and  that  in  the  days  of  those 
kings  no  Hindoo  would  have  dared  to  suggest  that  they  were  polluted  by  being 
used  by  Mussulmans.  If  they  could  be  used  without  pollution  by  any  Dhcr  or 
^lang,  who  embraced  the  Mohammedan  religion,  how  can  they  be  polluted  by 
the  use  of  Christian  converts  ?  The  petitioners  have  forgotten  their  own 
Shastras,  which  declare  that  the  caste  of  the  Ruler,  whatever  it  may  be,  is 
equal  to  the  highest ;  and  they  have  perverted  the  declaration  in  the  Queen's 
proclamation,  which  expressly  states,  that  none  shall  be  molested  by  reason  of 
their  religious  faith,  into  an  argument  for  molesting  and  insulting  those  who 
profess  the  same  faith,  which  the  Queen  not  merely  acknowledges,  but  of  which 
she  proclaims  herself  the  Defender.' 

"Thus  the  rights  of  native  converts  were  sustained.  Some  severe  fines  were 
inflicted  by  the  local  authorities,  upon  persons  who  were  guilty  of  using  vio- 
lence to  the  native  Christians  in  connection  with  this  excitement,  and  all  saw 
that  the  magistrate  was  determined  to  enforce  the  laws,  and  to  carry  out  the 
decision  of  government." 

The  Brahmans  were  not  satisfied,  but  tried  to  procure  a  modification  of  this 
decision.  Their  second  petition  was,  that  certain  tanks  and  wells  might  be  set 
apart  for  the  use  of  the  Christians,  and  thej-  be  prohibited  from  using  others. 
The  magistrate  made  a  strong  report  upon  this  application,  characterizing  it  as 
intended  to  put  a  stigma  upon  Christians.  The  final  decision  of  the  Governor 
in  Council  was  in  these  words  :    "  The  petitioners  are  to  be  informed  that 


32  THE   MAHRATTA  MISSION. 

government  will  never  admit  that  a  tank  is  polluted  by  being  used  by  Christ- 
ian converts.  Ilis  Lordship  in  Council  sees  no  reason  for  any  modification  of 
his  previous  orders,  and  the  intimation  now  issued  must  be  regarded  as  final."' 
These  decisions  were  not  by  any  means  quietly  assented  to  by  the  natives. 
As  intimated  above,  in  the  extract  from  the  report  of  this  station,  a  good  deal 
of  violence  was  made  use  of  against  the  Christians  who  attempted  to  use  the 
water  of  the  public  tanks.  But  by  the  prompt  measures  of  punishment  taken 
by  the  authorities,  the  people  were  convinced  that  violence  would  accomplish 
nothing,  and  that  every  one  molesting  the  Christians  would  be  punished.  The 
natives  soon  began  to  use  the  water  from  the  tanks  which  the  Christians  used. 
They  said  in  excuse  that  the  Shastras  contain  nothing  about  Christians,  and 
that  consequently  there  is  no  caste  difficulty  in  the  way  of  yielding  to  these 
decisions  of  government  and  granting  the  Christians  their  rights.  This  must 
be  a  great  humiliation  to  the  Brahmans,  who  have  caused  all  this  trouble,  and 
who  have  been  so  loud  in  demanding  the  degradation  of  Christians.  It  is  cer- 
tainly a  great  victory  over  the  spirit  of  caste. 

The  matter  did  not  stop  here.  All  the  papers  upon  the  subject  were  for- 
warded by  the  Governor  of  Bombay,  Lord  Elphinstone,  to  her  Majesty's  Secre- 
tary of  State  for  India.  In  reply,  the  Secretary  sent  out  a  dispatch  approving 
the  decision  of  the  local  government.  Thus  the  rights  of  the  Christians  are 
fixed  on  a  firm  basis,  and  by  this  dispatch  the  same  rule  is  made  applicable  to 
all  India. 

Another  important  decision,  made  in  the  year  1859,  affecting  the  rights  of 
Christians,  is  that  which  admits  the  children  of  native  Christians  to  all  the 
public  schools.  Hitherto  they  have  been,  for  the  most  part,  excluded  on  caste 
pretenses.  Now  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  "  entitled  to  the  same  privileges  as 
the  children  of  Mohammedans  and  others,  who  do  not  observe  caste." 

These  decisions  practically  carry  out  the  views  expressed  in  the  Queen's 
proclamation,  assuming  control  of  the  East-India  Company's  possessions  in 
India,  published  November  1,  1858. 


PROGRESS    IN    CONVERSIONS. 

The  Mission  to  the  Mahrattas  was  begun  in  the  year  1813,  at  Bombay.  Mis- 
sionaries were  sent  to  Ahmednuggur,  to  reside,  in  1831.  A  careful  examina- 
tion of  tlic  Reports  of  thi-  Board  shows  that  the  total  number  of  admissions  to 
church  privileges,  on  profession  of  their  faith  by  natives  of  the  country,  in  the 
whole  field  occupied  by  the  Ameiican  niissionarii  s,  from  the  beginning  tu  Jan- 
uar}^  ],  1856,  was  two  hundred  and  eiglity-tive ;  and  in  the  six  years  from  the 
lalter  date  to  January  1,  18ti2,  it  was  four  hundred  and  fifty-seven.  In  the 
Missionary  Herald  for  June,  1861,  is  a  letter  from  Mr.  Ballantine.  in  which, 
after  giving  the  church  statistics  of  the  Ahmednuggur  district,  and  showing 
that  the  admissions  in  each  one  of  the  preceding  five  years  equaled  the  average 
of  each  period  of  five  years  from  1831  to  1855,  inclusive,  he  remarks: 

''Should  it  be  asked  how  ihe  sudden  increase  in  the  number  of  converts  in 
the  last  term  of  five  years  can  be  accounted  for,  I  would  say,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  new  policy  inaugurated  in  the  mission  in  1855,  putting  missionaries 
out  in  the  districts  to  labor  among  the  people,  has  been  the  means,  in  the  hands 
of  God,  of  greatly  extending  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  of  bringing  many  , 
more  converts  inio  our  churches.  Some  members  of  the  mission  desired  to 
see  this  policy  pursued  ten  years  before  it  was  adopted ;  but  at  length  the 
Deputation,  coming  to  India  in  1854,  decided  the  matter  which  had  been  dis- 
cussed in  the  mission  so  long,  and  the  plan  was  at  once  put  in  execution.  ' 

Statements  having  been  made  to  the  effect  that  the  change  which  took  place 
in  the  policy  of  the  mission,  had  alienated  the  affection  of  the  higher  castes 
from  this  mission,  and  that  since  1856  there  had  been  there  no  convert  from 
the  higher  castes,  Mr.  Ballantine  wrote  again,  September  9,  1861  : 

"  This  is  a  great  mistake.  We  are  having  more  intercourse  with  the  higher 
castes,  both  in  Ahmednuggur  and  in  the  villages  around,  than  we  ever  had  at 
any  former  period  in  the  history  of  this  mission.  And  this  intercourse  is  very 
friendly  and  pleasant.  There  is  more  preaching:  in  the  streets  of  Ahmednug- 
gur this  year  than  for  many  years  past,  and  the  people  have  frequently  asked 
me  to  come  again  to  preach  to  them.  These  are  people  of  high  caste.  We 
have  regular  attendants  now  fi-om  the  high  castes,  on  our  Sabbath  services, 
apart  from  inquirers,  and  those  desirous  of  being  admitted  to  the  Church. 
Within  the  past  two  weeks  I  have  received  donations  from  the  natives  to  aid 
the  mission  in  this  its  time  of  need  ;  one  of  twenty-five  rupees  from  an  edu- 
cated Brahman,  and  another  of  twenty  rupees  from  eight  natives  connected 
with  the  poHce  corps,  all  of  high  caste.  We  have  never  had  so  many  persons 
of  high  caste  brought  into  our  churches  in  Ahmednuggur  and  vicinity,  in  any 
period  of  five  years  before,  as  we  have  received  since  1856.  Our  inquirers  too, 
at  the  present  time,  from  the  higher  castes,  are  more  than  usual.  AVe  have, 
also,  a  school  for  heathen  boys  of  the  higher  castes  in  Ahmednuggur,  which 
is  taught  by  a  Christian  teacher,  without  any  heathen  help.  It  has  continued 
a  year  and  a  half,  and  is  constantly  increasing  in  munbers.  Many  of  the  boys 
are  learning  to  sing  Christian  hymns,  under  the  instruction  of  their  teacher. 
Thus  God  is  blessing  us  in  our  present  policy,  and  we  hope  to  see  still  greater 
blessings." 


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PAMPHLET   BINDER 

ZIZ3   Syrocuse,  N.  Y. 
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BW7501  .M2H6 

Historical  sketch  of  the  mission  to  the 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library  I '  "*! 


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